It’s hard to know how to feel after reporting on the Duncan man who ate his pot bellied pig after adopting it from the local SPCA.
Of course, there’s an understandable sense of outrage that the man would adopt the pig, called Molly, claiming that he wanted it as a pet and then change his mind and slaughter it for food.
I dropped in on Sandi Trent, manager of the Cowichan & District branch of the SPCA, shortly after the news broke that Molly, who had stayed at the animal shelter for some time before she was adopted in January, was killed and she was very emotional over the death of the animal.
Molly was one of more than 50 pot bellied pigs the animal shelter took possession of last summer.
It’s said that pigs are as smart, or even smarter, than dogs, so it should come as no surprise that the staff and volunteers at the SPCA became attached to Molly while she was staying there.
But it’s also a fact that most of us, including many of those threatening physical harm to the man responsible for Molly’s death, eat pork and beef on a regular basis.
In fact, millions of pigs, cows and chickens are raised and slaughtered in North America every year so we can keep dining on our steaks, hamburgers, bacon and pork roasts.
We are surrounded by abattoirs here in the Cowichan Valley and the meat they produce is sold in local supermarkets all the time.
But I have never seen any protests at these slaughterhouses with people opposed to the killings that happen in them, despite the public outrage that is being expressed over the death of this one pig.
So why is Molly so different and why is Austin Manson Forget, the Facebook name of the man who slaughtered the pig, receiving death threats?
After all, the BC SPCA did send constables to Forget’s property to investigate the matter and concluded Molly was killed humanely, so he will face no charges as a result of his actions.
I expect that in Molly’s case, the indignation is more over what is being perceived as a betrayal of an understanding, if not a legally binding contract, that Forget made with the SPCA when he adopted Molly.
As part of the adoption agreement, Molly’s new owner had agreed not to use her for food.
An official with BC SPCA said last week that because animals are considered property under the law, once an adoption agreement is made, that person is the full legal owner of that animal and the SPCA loses all legal rights to the animal, regardless of the adoption agreement.
But, in killing Molly, Forget betrayed the trust the staff at the SPCA put in him by allowing him to adopt the animal along with the expectation that he give her a loving home.
Forget admitted he has made a mistake and wishes he could take back his actions.
There’s no doubt that he did make an error in judgment here and I hope he learns from his actions.
But he is no criminal and is certainly not a “killer” in the traditional sense of the word.
I just hope the backlash he received from the community will deter similar acts from others who have adopted pigs from the SPCA.
Robert Barron is a reporter with the Cowichan Valley Citizen. He can be reached at Robert.Barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com.