Last week in Columbia, a fugitive on the lam was picked up from Brennen Elementary School and taken into custody. Since it was his fourth time trespassing at the school, the escapee was taken to the pen for being a repeat offender. The fugitive is Leroy Jenkins, a seven-month-old Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.
Leroy’s owner, Mcgregor Wallace, has reportedly been cited for owning a pig in city limits and for having a fugitive pet, with a piggy-bank-breaking total of $4,000 in fines due to Leroy’s flights for freedom. (Leroy reportedly let himself out of the backyard for a hog-wild walkabout and Wallace was not aware until a teacher from the school knocked on the door.) Wallace, 35, reportedly got Leroy as a support animal.
He told The State that Leroy is “just a baby” and he goes to the school because he wants the attention of the kids. Perhaps Leroy does not understand the difference between human kids and goat kids. Wallace also mentioned Leroy is potty trained and “can even open the refrigerator, which is pretty cool.” (Underselling it there a bit there, Mcgregor. It is super cool.)
Leroy, usually cage-free, is in ‘jail’ at a Columbia animal shelter. According to Facebook posts from Wallace, the pound does not have the right conditions to hold a pig until the court date. The ordinance against keeping pigs within city limits (Chapter 4, section 4-32) reads “It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain any hogs or pigs within the corporate limits of the city.”
While domestic pigs can grow to be anywhere from 110-770 pounds, the average adult Vietnamese pot-bellied pig is 125 to 200 pounds. Wallace commented that Leroy is a hefty 12 pounds, three ounces, although we want to put that porker on a scale.
Wallace told The State if he gets Leroy back, “my yard will be sealed like Fort Knox.” He wrote in a post about the incident, “With this being said I want to apologize to my neighbors for being a pain in the butt. I will now make sure to be a more productive neighbor,” and “#FreeLeroyJenkins.”
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