Has Metro Detroit Gone to the Pigs?

A large pig rescued from a Detroit basement is recuperating at The Devoted Barn farm for abused and neglected animals. A second pig was rescued Monday and will be cared for at the Newport farm as well. (Photo via Facebook)

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Who knew pigs could be such a problem in the Detroit metro?

Days after officials spent several hours Friday figuring out how to extract a 500-pound porker from a basement with no ladder, stairs or way out for the pig, police officers had to save another pig from another house in another town.

Monday’s rescue operation was absent some of the social media fanfare and macabre drama – when Friday’s stranded pig was reported to police, the tipster hinted that it may have been gnoshing on human remains, a rumor later disproven. But removing the pig wasn’t trouble-free, either.

The site of Monday’s rescue in Highland Park was one of several properties owned by known hoarder Gary Roquemore, who died of natural causes more than a week ago at one of his homes in Detroit, across the street from where the first pig was found.

Catch Up On This Story:

• 500-Pound Pig Rumored to Eat Humans Evicted

WJBK-TV reports that Highland Park police and fire responders finally lured the pig out of the house on Oakman near Hamilton with carrots and apples, then contacted The Devoted Barn, a Newport rescue group that specializes in rehabilitating animals that have been hoarded.

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The 300-pound pig saved on Monday will join the first pig, named “Sgt. Sunshine,” at the farm for neglected and abused animals. The sow rescued Monday, dubbed “Cpl. Park,” is in rough condition.

“He looks a little skinnier, a bit more ragged,” Melissa Borden of The Devoted Barn told WJBK.

Sgt. Sunshine, is recuperating nicely, The Devoted Barn posted on Facebook.

“... She knows she is safe,” according to the post.

Sgt. Sunshine and Cpl. Park are, ahem, pigging out, so The Devoted Barn could use donations of fresh fruits and vegetables and clean, dry straw.

“We want to feed them a really good, healthy diet right now,” according to the post. “We need to get them healthy and diet is a big part of that.”

Roquemore’s daughter, Arianna, told the television she knew her dad “always felt the need to collect things,” but she was surprised to learn he hoarded animals.

Investigators think the pig tale has come to an end, and doubt they’ll find any more hogs stashed around the metro.