Family furious after pet pig shot, killed by police officers on Bruce Highway near Rockhampton
A family is distraught after their pet pig, Bundy, was shot and killed by police officers as they attended a traffic crash on a Central Queensland road — but police claim they had permission.
Mackay
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A family is claiming police officers shot their beloved pet pig twice on the side of a road south of Rockhampton after a traffic crash, despite begging them not to fire.
The alleged incident took place on the Bruce Highway, between the localities of Marmor and Raglan south of Rockhampton on February 28.
Raglan resident Sherri Ives is the owner of Bundy, a black pet pig he says had been ‘part of the family’ for eight years when the tragedy occurred.
Mr Ives said Bundy was being transported in a horse trailer by a family friend when the side door opened and Bundy fell off on the side of the road.
Bundy was not seriously injured, with only gravel rash and grazing, Mr Ives claims.
His daughter Cindy, who was following behind the horse trailer in her car, managed to take Bundy to the side of the road.
It is understood a traffic crash occurred soon after, where a separate truck collided with the horse trailer.
Police were called to the scene of the crash.
When Mr Ives arrived, he said he saw police officers had put a leash on Bundy’s neck and walked him over two sets of railway lines.
“They thought Bundy caused the accident,” Mr Ives said.
“They tried to tell me he was badly injured.
Mr Ives said he had tried to tell police officers not to hurt him but they didn’t listen to him.
“The police officer looked at me and fired the gun,” Mr Ives recalled, with tears in his eyes and voice.
“I told them not to do it and they shot him a first time.
“And then they waited a bit and shot him again.”
A QPS spokesperson said police had attended a road traffic incident “where an animal was injured in the crash” on the Bruce Highway at Marmor just before 9am on February 28.
“The driver, who advised he was the animal’s owner, consented for police to euthanise the pig, which was successful.”
Mr Sherri said the family pig had sustained a “bit of limp” from his first fall off the trailer, but that he was far from being badly injured.
“The vet has seen the photos, she said he was bruised but there was nothing wrong with him,” Mr Ives said.
“He was all right to take home, we were going to walk him home.
“I don’t know how they can get away with it.”
The family were given an occurrence number by police on the day, and said the officers present were from Gracemere police station.
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