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Potbellied pig found bound and beheaded in Northeast Philly

The pig appeared to be less than 50 pounds but further information about the animal remains unknown, pending a full autopsy.

Police found a bound and beheaded potbellied pig on the edge of Pennypack Park Monday.
Police found a bound and beheaded potbellied pig on the edge of Pennypack Park Monday.Read moreDreamstime/TNS

The bound body and severed head of a potbellied pig were found inside a dog crate at the edge of Pennypack Park om Monday morning, and authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect.

The crate was found on Rising Sun Avenue near Tustin Street in the Fox Chase section of Northeast Philadelphia around 10:30 a.m. Pennsylvania SPCA officials were called to the scene by Philadelphia police.

The pig appeared to weigh less than 50 pounds but further information, like its age, remains unknown, pending a necropsy, according to the PSCPA.

Officials are withholding details of the bindings while the investigation is ongoing.

“This pig suffered greatly prior to death, being bound and then decapitated,” Nicole Wilson, director of humane law enforcement at the PSPCA, said in a statement. “This crime was committed by an individual, or individuals, who simply wanted to do something cruel for the sake of cruelty.”

PSPCA spokesperson Gillian Kocher said owning potbellied pigs within the city limits is not legal, though the agency does respond to a handful of potbellied pig calls each year.

The city Animal Care and Control Team did not immediately respond to a request for statistics on potbellied pigs within the city limits.

Anyone with information about the case may call the PSPCA’s cruelty hotline at 866-601-7722.