A PIGLET has been found wandering around a Sale housing estate.

The stray animal was spotted on the ‘Sale West’ housing estate, known locally as the ‘Racecourse Estate’, by a member of the public who took her home and called the RSPCA.

RSPCA animal welfare officer (AWO) Steve Wickham said: “Obviously, and thankfully, it’s pretty unusual to come across a piglet roaming around a housing estate.

“We suspect that someone has bought this pig as a pet and she has either escaped or been abandoned.

“Either way, she certainly wouldn’t have been able to fend for herself and it’s lucky the member of the public found her when they did and she came to no harm.”

The piglet was found last Thursday night on a patch of grass behind Thirsk Avenue. The finder took her home and looked after her until the following morning when AWO Wickham collected her.

He said: “She’s very small and cute at the moment but she could grow to be very large indeed.

“Although some pigs are genuinely small breed pigs, we have dealt with others that people have bought thinking that they’re going to remain small, and they end up growing to be 200-300kg, the same size as a commercial pig.

“Pet pigs have the same welfare needs as farmed pigs and, like farmed pigs, there are strict laws regarding their diet, identification and movement which make them challenging to look after properly, which you need to do under the Animal Welfare Act.”

Luckily, an experienced owner has been found to take on the piglet.

“Fortunately we have managed to find her a forever home where she’ll live with other pigs,” said AWO Wickham.

For information about how to properly care for pigs visit: rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/farm/farmanimals/pigs.

If you would like to help RSPCA officers to deal with collections like this, you can give £3 now by texting HELP to 78866 (Text costs £3 + one standard network rate message).