Francesca McAndrews was fighting traffic in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on her way to work one day last month when she spotted something she never expected to: a baby pig.
Most people would have chuckled to themselves and went on with their day. But McAndrews, 27, stopped her car in the middle of the street, blocking traffic, and chased after the piglet.
“It seemed like forever, but it was maybe 5 or 10 minutes before I caught her,” explains McAndrews. “I was shaking and crying … and she was bleeding. Traffic was stopping, and people were taking photos.”
McAndrews took a selfie with the piglet and sent it to her boss to explain why she’d be late to work that day. Then she took the piglet, who she has since named Enzo, to a nearby animal hospital.
A veterinarian at the animal hospital diagnosed Enzo with a hernia, a condition that will eventually require surgery. McAndrews believes the little pig fell off an animal livestock truck that was traveling through the city of Lancaster and that the fall caused the hernia.
“If she gets much bigger, it could rupture,” McAndrews explains. “Without an operation, the condition is fatal.”
McAndrews has found two local businesses that are holding special events later this month to help raise money for Enzo’s medical costs. A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help raise money for the pig.
Until Enzo is ready for her surgery, she’s staying with Lorrie Dunn, who lives a little outside Lancaster and owns several other pigs. After the surgery, she will live with McAndrews full time.
lancasteronline.com
“We’re kind of co-parenting,” explains McAndrews. “I’ve been over there every day. I’ve been funding her care. But once we get the surgery, she will come to my house.”
McAndrews believes Enzo was only two or three weeks old when she found her, weighing about 6 lbs. She’s already up to 17 lbs. and will eventually grow to anywhere between 600 and 1,000 lbs.
Before falling off a livestock truck (presumably), Enzo was destined to be raised for food. Instead, McAndrews hopes to use the pig as a mascot for a service designed to support women who’ve suffered trauma.