Obesity is an issue that this country in America faces greatly. And obesity doesn’t just end with humans. The newest report is of a highly obese pig that oddly enough goes by the name ‘Pork Chop’ in Florida.
Pork Chop Sighting in Florida
A 400-pound pig, ‘Pork Chop’, was removed from his home for his obese state. Animal control in Palm Beach, Florida came to safely remove the pig on Thursday, November 9, 2023. The pig’s owner, Kelly Anne Jacobson, was devastated the pig was taken from her. “I fought a lot of people for a long time to keep him. And people are taking him away from me.”
However, Jacobson has been reportedly cited for incidents like this before once in September 2022 and again in February 2023.
KIRO 7 News reported, “The original citation in 2022 noted that Pork Chop’s hooves “were overgrown and he needed vet care.” Jacobson put Pork Chop on a diet shortly after. However, this did little to help the pig lose the weight he desperately needed.
Following the eviction from her home for not paying rent the last few months, Jacobson also dealt with the forcible removal of her pig. Once animal control caught sight of the pig’s obese state, they said they didn’t have any plans on returning the animal to Jacobson.
A nearby neighbor, Mark Gallopo, reported the sounds of the pig’s squeals as it was taken away by animal control. The pig was so obese that its stomach was dragging on the ground as they loaded him up.
“They had to lift it from the backside, and she walked it from the front side,” Gallopo said. Seeing the sad state that this animal is in makes us wonder, just how many animals are obese?
How Many Animals Are Obese?
The Pet Obesity Prevention Organization estimates that 59% of dogs and 61% of cats have the label “overweight” in the year 2022.
According to the National Library of Medicine, obesity is “excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat or adipose tissue in the body that impairs health via its association to the risk of development of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.”
Just as humans have to watch their weight, animals do as well. As guardians of these pets, it is our responsibility to ensure their health. To help them to eat properly and get the correct amount of exercise that they need.
Many of the reports that we see on animal obesity have to do with dogs or cats. This is mostly because they are well-known house pets. However, as we can see from the story above, other animals such as pigs are capable of being obese as well. Talk to your local vet today if you feel your pet may be obese. Help them get the assistance they need to get back on track.
