Vashon Island, WA family searching for stolen 350-pound pet pig
Vashon Island family searching for stolen pet pig
A Vashon Island family is searching for their pet pig after they believe she was stolen from her enclosure while they were at the local Strawberry Festival.
VASHON ISLAND, Wash. - A Vashon Island family is searching for their beloved pet pig, Brida, after she was stolen from her enclosure on Friday.
Her owner, Julia Carlson, believes the theft was carefully planned and took place between 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. while the family was away attending the local Strawberry Festival.
"She is a member of my family. She’s like one of my children," Carlson said.
A known island pig personality
The backstory:
Brida, the mini-pig from Vashon Island, may not look like a mini, but to her mom, Julia Carlson, she's the cutest little thing.
Julia says she adopted Brida from the Emerald City Pet Rescue while she was working there years ago. She said she cared for the now 350 lb rescue pig since she was smaller than the size of a football.
Brida is pictured below with her siblings. She is at top right.
What they're saying:
Her favorite things include sleeping with a clean blanket and red leaf lettuce.
"She’s been in the house she’s a house pig. We used to call her Paris Hilton House Pig because she’s so bougie," said Julia. "She’s an island girl, an island pig, everybody knows who she is."
So, when she went missing while the family was at the Strawberry Festival, they were left in shock and devastated.
"We are the only thing she knows, the only people she knows, the only space she knows," said Julia.
Family says evidence points to targeted theft
They say someone tossed over a chicken coop, damaging it and other property, while making their way to the wooden fence at Brida's enclosure between 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday, July 17.
"You could see clear as they had made the corral, cut the fence," said Julia.
The only sign of their precious pig, hoof prints leading to a set of tire tracks. Julia believes the tire tracks were from a trailer used to take Brida away.
"I am devastated because pigs are so smart, so I only wonder what’s going through her mind right now. Is she scared or terrified? Does she think that I did this to her? Does she know I’m looking for her?,' said Julia.
The investigation
FOX 13 reached out to the King County Sheriff's Office. A spokesperson says deputies did a thorough walk of the property, but did not see the pig. They also looked into a dispute that had been going on between neighbors, but say no arrests have been made, and no information was available on a suspect as of Monday night.
Search efforts continue
What's next:
The theft has taken an emotional toll on the household, including Brida's companion pig, Hans, who Carlson says is missing his friend.
Julia is using the hashtag #findbrida on social media, hoping others can join in the hunt to find the pig and help bring her home.
"She’s my best friend and I don’t know what I'm going to do if I don’t get her back," said Julia.
If you know who's responsible, or if you know where Brida is, contact the King County Sheriff's Office.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the King County Sheriff's Office and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.