Mercy's name couldn't change fate of pig found loose in Winnipeg
Mercy's death is unfortunate but did bring attention to animal compassion, says activist
The tail, er tale, of Mercy the pig has come to an end.
The big pig was found running loose in a grassy area near the Perimeter Highway and Portage Avenue on May 29.
After being rounded up by police and conservation officers, the pig was held until the owner was located.
A number of animal activists, including Charlotte Sigurdson, heard about the story and banded together to raise money to save the pig — which they affectionately nicknamed Mercy — and send it to a sanctuary.
A spokesperson for Manitoba Pork told CBC Mercy was sent to a processing plant in the United States.
"There was no chance, they did it so quickly that there was no chance for us to negotiate with the farmer — be put in touch with the farmer or anything like that," she said.
Sigurdson said it's a sad end but it also did a lot of good.
"We raised money for a sanctuary, I think we got a lot of people talking about compassionate food choices, and Mercy put a face on that hot dog," she said.
Anyone who donated to her GoFundMe campaign for Mercy can get a refund up until June 9. Any money left over will go to animal sanctuaries.