Mary Beesecker, 53, has been sentenced to a year’s program and compensation of veterinary costs after a court agreed with the owner that she engaged in animal cruelty by allowing the pet of Michelle Schmitz to eat like a pig. The pet, Alaina Templeton, is a pig but tripled in weight while in Beesecker’s care.
Beesecker entered an Alford Plea to one count of animal cruelty where she admits no wrongdoing but acknowledges she’d likely be convicted. The pig gained so much weight that her collar became embedded in her neck.
Schmitz had surgery and arranged for the pet care, though she has been criticized for underfeeding the pig and not retrieving the pig earlier, as discussed here.
The ruling is a major setback for the legal experts at Saturday Night Live in their prediction: “A woman in Minnesota wants to file abuse charges against a friend who was pet-sitting for her pot-bellied pig and allowed the animal to get fat. I’m no legal expert, but here’s how I think that case will go: “What kind of pig? Case dismissed.”
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This was a criminal case? How?
Ok, and please correct me if I am wrong. As a child in High School we raised all sorts of animals. I had a Pig that got up to over 800 pounds. Now correct me if I am wrong. But, do not pigs get bigger as they grow older (naturally)?
Just remember that the Chicken makes a contribution and the pig makes a commitment. How do you want your eggs?
All is not well with those people. Hey did you hear about those wonderful people in MN, Yes it starts snowing about the last of October and people have a drink about that time too. Come May they stop both. bada bing.
PETA, I am all for it. People Eating Tasty Animals. My cow was a Vegetarian before a commitment was made for him/her.
Another unfunny case of human abuse of animals.
We don’t overfeed people, so people should not overfeed us.