The bigger pigs are close to 100 pounds, ACS says. 

Tammy Swinette was roaming around San Antonio's Southside before ACS officers were able to catch the ham on the lam. These days, the 50-pound Swinette spends her mornings rooming next to four other runaway swine now under the care of San Antonio. 

Nestled in the back of the Animal Care Services location, the five cute pigs – big and small – play and eat in an 650-square-foot enclosure meant for horses and goats found roaming the streets in San Antonio. Over the past few months, ACS has added more and more pigs to its total after discovering them running around in separate areas of the city. 

The local animal care services addresses the pig problem in San Antonio. Pictured map shows where the pigs have been found in the past few months. 

Though these pigs tend to while away their days with the occasional nap, dip into the muddy shallows, or by horsing around with their piggy roommates, owning a pig within the city limits is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by fines averaging around $300. 

Despite being illegal, ACS picked up Hamhocks and Pignacious, two giant 100-pound pigs at the Pronto Pawnshop parking lot on the South Side on January 9; Swinette in a neighborhood off Five Palms Drive and Old Pearsall Road on November 18; and Thing 1 and Thing 2 in the backyard of a vacant home south of Pleasanton Road and West Harding on December 9. 

Owning a pig within the city limits is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by fines averaging around $300. 

Heather Guthrie, ACS shelter manager, tells MySA they believe people still buy the pigs regardless of the policy because pocket pigs are easy to acquire outside the city limits at flea markets. However, she says people don't realize that pocket pigs or mini pigs won't be small forever. Mini pigs range in size from 60 pounds to 200 pounds – some even reach 300 pounds.

Guthrie, who has two mini pigs over 250 pounds that she took home from ACS years ago, says the pocket pigs at ACS range from 20 pounds to 100 pounds. All of them are relatively young as well, anywhere from 6 to 24 months old. Pot-bellied pigs typically live for 14-21 years, with an average of 15-18 years, according to VCA Hospitals. 

Size aside, Guthrie says swine aren't a cheap pet to own either. Depending on the size, grown pigs can go through a $40 15-pound bag of feed in two weeks, she says. At ACS, the staff feeds the smaller ones about two cups of food a day, the medium pig three cups a day, and the two larger ones four cups. ACS staff often travel outside the city limits to pick up the pigs' food, according to Guthrie. 

ACS picked up two large pigs at a Pronto Pawnshop parking lot on the South Side on January 9.

The staff also brings water to the pigs daily and makes sure their hooves grow out properly, which if not maintained can cause joint issues, Guthrie says.

For this month's freeze, the pigs were sheltered in covered stalls and had access to other areas to keep warm. 

Lisa Norwood, the public information officer for ACS, says she strongly hopes residents stop buying pigs because the ACS staff is working around the clock to care for the livestock. 

"Taxpayers are paying for their food," Norwood says. "These guys are being cared for all the time, and you couldn't ask for better caretakers for them. But these are additional animals that shouldn't even be in the city, to begin with, much less our shelter."

ACS has reached out to area rescue centers to take the pigs, with no luck. Norwood says they are likely overrun because an influx of pigs is not just a San Antonio problem. And, this time, Guthrie can't bring home any more pigs, she jokes.

"My husband is a great man, but I can't bring home any more animals," Guthrie says. "But, if you live outside the city limits and you have appropriate housing, pigs are a great animals to have. You can't have them in apartments or in small places, because they are smart and will get out. But, overall, they are friendly. They are just a lot of work."

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