Scientists save pet pig's bacon

Mr and Mrs Stone "feel elated" at the decision

A pet pig, called Porky by its owners, has escaped slaughter after vets said the risk of it being infected by foot-and-mouth disease was "low".

Porky, which is owned by George and Sadie Stone, from Ruthwell Station, Dumfries, was due to be culled as it fell within 3km of an infected farm.

Local villagers supported Mr and Mrs Stone when they blocked earlier attempts by Scottish Executive vets to carry out a cull order.

Now the Executive says the pig can live so long as the owners agree to regular health checks from a vet.

Porky lives in the family home

George Stone said he and his wife were jubilant that the 10-year-old Vietnamese pot-bellied pig would not be slaughtered.

"I feel elated. You find you've got tears in your eyes. You wouldn't believe it," he said.

"When you've lived with someone or something for years and years from a baby it's hard when someone comes along and says we're going to knock him off now."

"We feel very good today, very good....everyone's been 'phoning us, congratulating us....it's been wonderful."

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive confirmed that Porky had been saved but he denied that the pig was being treated as an exception.

Low infection risk

"It has been over a month since the last case of infection occurred in the area around this pig's home," he said.

"The scientific advice is that the risk of it being infected is very low and the pig need not be culled.

"However, this reprieve entirely depends upon the owners agreeing to the pig being examined by a vet and being regularly inspected thereafter.

But provided no clinical signs of disease are identified and provided the pig remains indoors as normal, then the pig will not be culled.

Devon calf Phoenix was also given a reprieve

"This case is not being treated as an exception - the decision is based solely on the balance of scientific evidence and the likely risk of infection."

Villagers joined a campaign with George and Sadie Stone last week to save Porky from slaughter.

The couple argued that Porky had been housebound and had no contact with other animals since the outbreak began 10 weeks ago.

They also contacted a solicitor and planned to mount a legal challenge.

'Political cynicism'

But the news of Porky's reprieve was not greeted with enthusiasm by Conservative MSP Alex Fergusson.

The party's deputy rural affairs spokesman said: "I have every sympathy with Porky's owners, it's terrible enough for a farmer never mind a pet owner, but I have to say that a fortnight ago Porky would not have been spared.

"Political cynicism has crept into the decision.

"It will leave lots of farmers feeling angry and bitter. Many will feel they've given up their stock for no good reason whatsoever."

Porky's escape from the cull comes days after another animal in England was spared

On Thursday, owners of Devon calf Phoenix learned that their animal would be spared.

Phoenix was due to be slaughtered despite surviving for five days buried under a mound of dead carcasses.