PIG'S FLIGHT FOR LIFE HOME AT LAST, PORKER DISGRUNTLED NO MORE.

Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer

TARZANA - A pig who apparently escaped becoming sausage thanks to a snout for finding ways out of tricky situations found sanctuary Friday at the Gentle Farm Foundation.

``I might name her Houdini,'' said Ellie Callahan, who took the pig into her Tarzana sanctuary after its run through the Southland. ``She probably is Houdini in a pig's body.''

The tale of the 300-pound pig began about 7 a.m. on Valentine's Day in Huntington Park.

Someone reported a pig roaming the streets of Huntington Park and South Gate. No one had seen it before, and no one knew where the pig came from.

``It was the Valentine's Day pig caper,'' said Huntington Park Police Sgt. Neal Mongan.

Police found the pig a couple miles from the Farmer John processing plant, but the folks at Farmer John say it's not theirs. Their pigs are tattooed and don't escape. This pig had an orange ear tag a little bit larger than a half dollar with the number 35 on it, but no tattoos.

County Animal Control Officer Juan Lozano, who received the call, said the pig could have escaped from, or while in transit to, a slaughterhouse.

No one had ever picked up a pig before.

``It was quite a Valentine's Day for me,'' Lozano said.

But for the pig, it was off to a shelter in Downey. Since no one knew whose pig it was, authorities impounded it.

There, authorities may have found the answer to what happened: The pig found ways out of her kennels by lifting the latch with her snout. She never got far, but time was running out - officials only had 15 days to find her owner, get her adopted or, well, it'd be Hog Heaven for the swine.

That's when shelter officials decided to send her to Agoura, where they said she had a better chance of being adopted.

There again, the pig tried to get out. But before she could escape again, Callahan found her.

``She is a sweetie,'' Callahan said.

Now, she's really just a pig in a poke.

Callahan runs the Gentle Barn Foundation, a nonprofit sanctuary in Tarzana for rescued farm animals, out of her home. Callahan opens her farm to local schools, so children can visit the farm to learn about animals.

The pig seemed to like her digs on Friday, as Callahan and two kid volunteers contemplated names. The pig was surrounded by animals with names like Zena and Tinkerbell and Bambi.

The pig frolicked through the pen, dispersing crowds of goats and the barn's cow, Buddha.

Kirsten Sharaf, 12, one of the kid volunteers who helps Callahan clean the pens and feed the animals, said the pig actually will lie down and roll over like a dog. But while she is really good with people, she's still warming to her new roommates.

``She's adorable,'' said Kirsten. ``She's trying to make friends with the other animals, but they run away from her because she's so big.''

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) The Southland's wandering pig has found a home with Ellie Callahan and her Gentle Farm Foundation in Tarzana.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer