BROOKHAVEN — A free roaming and large pot-bellied pig found a new safe home in the countryside this Christmas. Brookhaven Animal Control officer Sharon Norton shared the good news this weekend.

“She is officially out of the city limit and in a really good farm home,” Norton said.

The pig is 10 years old or older and has a little bit of arthritis according to previous articles published by The Daily Leader.

Norton said in previous articles that officers have had to respond to calls involving the animal. Police officers have had to keep traffic at bay as they ushered the pig out of the roadway, including at least once on Hwy. 51.

Monday, she was seen walking around Field Lark Lane. Norton put out a call on Facebook for anyone who was interested — and who specialized in handling pigs — to come take possession of the animal. Later, she posted the pig had returned to its home.

“Animal Control is tired of dealing with it and the owner of the pig does not want it,” Norton posted. “We simply do not know what else to do with this animal, it is too big for us to handle.”

During Tuesday evening’s City Board meeting, Alderman-at-large Don Underwood said that while it was somewhat humorous that police had to escort a pig across the highway, something had to be done with the pet because officers could not spend their time dealing with it, and pigs can sometimes be aggressive.