Animal sanctuary rescues ‘abandoned’ pet pig that once belonged to Logan Paul
A California animal sanctuary is going viral after it shared how it saved an abandoned pig that it said once belonged to YouTuber Logan Paul.
In a TikTok video posted Monday, the Gentle Barn said it picked up a pig, named Pearl, that had been “abandoned in a field” after she was “irresponsibly rehomed.” The organization said that Pearl was found next to a dead pig and that she had “tattered ears and a potentially life-threatening infection in her uterus.”
“From what we’ve been told, it’s believed she was purchased originally from a breeder by an influencer,” Gentle Barn said in the video’s caption. “People often buy ‘mini pigs’ or ‘teacup pigs’ for clout online, believing they will stay small. When they inevitably grow large and have many unexpected needs, they’re sadly discarded.”
After Gentle Barn posted the video, Paul’s 2020 tweet about adopting a pig named Pearl resurfaced online. On Feb. 26, 2020, He tweeted an image of him and a pig. He wrote that he “was told she was a mini pig,” and he included a photo with the fully grown pig.
A spokesperson for Gentle Barn said in an emailed statement Tuesday that it “has now received an email from Youtuber Logan Paul thanking us for taking in Pearl the pig.”
Representatives for Paul did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Teacup pigs, mini pigs, nano pigs and other “breeds” marketed as pet pigs “are a myth,” according to the Best Friends Animal Society. Piglets sold as miniature pigs are typically potbellied pigs, which can grow to 100 to 200 pounds in adulthood.
Paul left California in 2021 and moved to Puerto Rico for tax reasons, he said on his podcast, “Impaulsive.”
Paul reportedly left Pearl in the care of a horse ranch in Santa Clarita, Calif., when he moved to Puerto Rico in April 2020, according to TMZ.
Pearl has recovered, the rescue said, and now has a life “filled with friends, nutritious foods, the highest quality care, and so much love.”
“Pearl and her new potbelly pig family are now exploring together during the day and sleeping together at night,” the Gentle Barn said in its email. “Her best friend is our pig Barry—they even snuggle together. She loves to follow us around during the day and join us in our barnyard chores. She especially loves Sundays when she rolls over for belly rubs for our guests.”
The Gentle Barn thanked members of the public for “their endless support of our work and care for Pearl.”
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com