by Mary Pankow

     Could it be that this porker got wind that it’s football season and teams are throwing the “pigskin” around? Or, that he overheard that pork rinds are great snacks when watching a game? Maybe that’s why “Arnold” was running down Jamestown Street in Gowanda last Tuesday. He was on the lam from the fans and the NFL.

     A Vietnamese Pot Belly Pig, according to Gowanda Police Chief Joe Alessi, Arnold obviously had left his homey confines and decided to explore the world. Was he searching for the Ziffels after watching too many reruns of Green Acres? Was he afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Did he hear that “This little piggy went to market?”

     Whatever the reason, trotting down a busy downtown street was not the way to remain inconspicuous. Although, once captured, the defiant look on his face dared his captors - Chief Alessi and Officers Jen Alessi and Larry McCormick - to just try and make a football out of him. No way! (Truth be known, pot bellies are pets.)

     But then you wonder, was he a gourmet pig, rooting for truffles? Or perhaps he was searching for famous cartoon cousins Porky and Petunia.

     Okay, ideas exhausted, maybe Arnold just wanted to see what the two-legged world was like. A stroll in the village is a good way to get a feel for that small-town atmosphere. And, Gowanda DID hold a scarecrow stroll Sept. 18. Maybe he WAS checking out the local scenery - some of it edible!

     Unfortunately for Arnold, his presence in Gowanda, while unique, presented a problem. He is considered livestock - not an exotic pet - and, as a member of the porcine family, is subject to the rules and regulations governing farm animals. After all, no matter what, a pig is a pig is a pig.

     So, after Chief Alessi lassoed Arnold and engaged in some mud wrestling, Animal Control Officer Mary Dankert took Arnold “into custody.”

     “I’ll hold Arnold for what I call ‘stray time,’” Dankert said, adding that she hopes the owner comes forward. In the meantime, the adventuresome pig will enjoy a dog kennel all to himself, flavorful feed and the company of other four-legged critters. By the end of his stay, it’ll be interesting to see if he has learned to bark, or the dogs have learned to oink.

     Anyone with any information on Arnold is asked to contact Dankert at 257-3208.

     Note: We have learned that Arnold is actually Arnoldine, a female!