The owner of a stolen pig is over the moon after reuniting with his treasured pet the day after she was stolen from a popular trail in Palm Springs California.
Owner Randel was trekking in the Goat Trails hiking area with six-month-old Suebelle on the evening of Tuesday 18 when three men approached the pair and seized the pig before fleeing the scene.
"They grabbed her and ran off, and got in a car with her and sped off. I ran after them, but they were very fast," an emotional Randel, who didn't give his last name, told California's News Channel 3.
Posted by KESQNewsChannel3 on
Distraught at the loss of his pet pig, Randel appealed to the public and local news channels for help. The story was covered by News Channel 3, and barely 24 hours after Suebelle's disappearance, Randel received an anonymous tip about her location.
That led Randel, and police to a home address in California's Cathedral City, where Suebelle was found, unhurt and grateful to see her owner.
"I was crying," Randel told News Channel 3.
"I dropped to my knees, I was crying, she ran to me, and everybody knew it was a beautiful thing, it was really special."
Investigations into Suebelle's kidnapping are ongoing. The three men that Randel says stole the pig were not at the address. The people inside claimed they'd been sold the pig in a Walmart parking lot.
Suebelle's kidnapping acts as a reminder for pet owners to keep a watchful eye out on the trails.
"Just be careful they don’t get too close to other hikers when you’re on a trial, " Shirl Donahue of the Coachella Valley Hiking Club told News Channel 3.
For more on California hiking, check out our guide to the best national parks in America's most populous state.
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