Maybelle weighed 200 pounds (COURTESY ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE OF BOSTON)
BILLERICA -- Maybelle the pig kept seeing dog food in front of her.
As animals typically do, she kept eating the food packed with fat and calories.
And eating.
Combined with a stationary lifestyle in Billerica, Maybelle ballooned close to an obese 200 pounds ... about 80 pounds overweight.
"She didn't get outside much," said Michael DeFina, commun cations and media relations officer with the Animal Rescue League of Boston. "She was just eating."
A few months ago, Billerica's Animal Control division followed up on a complaint at 10 Roosevelt Road in Billerica.
Officers ended up removing the pot-bellied pig because of overfeeding health concerns and potential animal cruelty.
For the last six weeks, Maybelle has been staying at the Animal Rescue League of Boston's Dedham branch. DeFina estimates that it will take 9 to 12 months to bring Maybelle down to an ideal weight of 120 pounds.
Maybelle has a very difficult time moving around, he said.
"We want her to be a normal functioning animal again," he said.
They're feeding her small meals of vegetable six times a day to lower her calorie intake. The goal is to lose weight "consistently and safely," DeFina said.
Officers will measure her midsection to monitor how many inches she's losing.
The Animal Rescue League typically doesn't receive pigs this obese.
"The vet staff had to do some research on this one," DeFina said.
"We're confident that once she loses the weight and is rehabbed, she won't have any problems getting adopted," he added. "Pigs are incredibly smart, friendly and do make great pets."
The Billerica Animal Control division is investigating, said Deputy Police Chief Roy Frost. Criminal charges are possible.
Attempts to reach the owner of the home on Tuesday were not successful. The Sun could not confirm whether the listed owner of the home is the owner of the pig.
DeFina said overfeeding is an "act of animal cruelty in our eyes."
"Pet owners are responsible for nutrition," he added.
Follow Rick Sobey on Twitter @rsobeyLSun.
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This fat pig is 80 pounds overweight. Its Billerica owner is under investigation - Lowell Sun
