Wild boar is like a son to me, says man held for cruelty
Man arrested for animal cruelty says he rescued pet pig from pack of dogs
A man arrested for cruelty to a wild pig he kept as a pet has defended himself as an animal lover who treated the young boar like a son.
Worried that the animal he calls Little Tommy might now be put down, Shing Wing-biu showed off the pig's 50 sq ft room. The pig also has its own outside space to run around in and a pond to swim in.
"I am upset at being accused of animal abuse because everyone knows I am an animal lover," said the 62-year-old, who was arrested after a passer-by complained that he kicked the pig as he walked it on a chain along the Sai Kung waterfront on Sunday.
He said he saved the boar from a pack of wild dogs in the backyard of his property at Nam Wai, Sai Kung, about 10 months ago, when it was a month old. "It was being attacked by dogs and its legs were hurt," he said.
Shing said Little Tommy gets several meals a day, with fresh fruit being its favourite food, and it "lives in harmony" with his four pet dogs. "I often see them sunbathing on my balcony," he said. "They are all my loving sons."
The animal is now 1.5 metres long and weighs 70kg.
