Update (02/16/17 12:10 p.m.) – Police arrested the man accused of shooting and killing his neighbor’s pet pig earlier this week.
54-year-old George Bainbridge was charged with two counts of animal abuse in the first degree and one count of criminal mischief in the second degree.
Bainbridge is currently lodged in jail pending arraignment.
St. Helens, Ore. – A pig that wandered away from a St. Helens animal sanctuary was killed after being shot twice by a neighbor with a bow and arrow.
Portland NBC affiliate KGW reports the shooter said DJ the pig was destructive and threatening.
“There it was, about 40 feet from me, and I shot it,” said George Bainbridge. “It shouldn’t have been here. It should have been contained at home.”
The pig’s owners said they can’t understand why someone would do what Bainbridge did. “He meant the world to us. He mattered,” said Michelle Fudge-Snow.
The shooter and the owner have a history, according to KGW. They have a daughter together, but they have been involved in a custody battle. Fudge-Snow said it’s not about the pig, but about their history.
Police are investigating the case. “We take it seriously,” said Columbia County Undersheriff Andy Moyer.
Bainbridge could face animal cruelty charges, which could end up as a Class C felony.
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