Pregnant hog left to die in truck Port Salerno, FL (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 County: Martin Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Erick Michael Radford

Case ID: 10870 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: pig View more cases in FL (US) Login to Watch this Case

A man allegedly left a pregnant hog trapped in a metal dog crate in the back of a truck while he went fishing. The hog started birthing and neighbors called authorities when they heard the squealing.

He was charged with cruelty to animals, according to Martin County court records released Friday.

Martin County Sheriff's Sgt. Ken Ault arrived at a home in the 4800 block of Capstan Avenue to find an F250 4x4 truck with the cage in a carport on Feb. 27.

Two female hogs, 150 and 250 pounds, were "stuffed into a side compartment approximately 24 inches wide and 3 feet long, as (the) animals could not move or maneuver" Ault reported.

"This officer feels these (sow) pigs were captured with dogs the night before and crammed into one side of the dog box and left unattended to die."

Neighbors gathered the babies in a cardboard box and tried to feed them milk from a bottle.

The mother hog and seven piglets were taken to the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, where four more piglets were born.

One died.

The other hog was released into the woods.

The owner of the truck, identified as Indiantown resident Erick Michael Radford, 22, wasn't present at the time but called Ault later to say "he did nothing wrong, that he wanted his truck and the hogs back."

He said he went fishing for the day and didn't have time to butcher the hogs.

Radford, who could not be reached for comment Friday, was arrested on a warrant on two counts of cruelty to animals Thursday and released from the Martin County Jail the same day on a $5,000 bail.

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