A Numurkah woman is devastated at the loss of her pet pig, which she says was deliberately run down by a car metres from her house in the middle of the night last week.
Tania Broadwood’s pet pig Delta had managed to get out of her paddock and was in grass on the side of the road when Ms Broadwood said a car purposely swerved to hit Delta between 1am and 1.30am on Thursday, March 9.
Ms Broadwood was up at the time, having been tending to other animals on the Hendys Rd property.
“I saw the vehicle and thought it was a bit unusual given the time,” she said.
“I saw it veer off the road to the left. There were no brake lights.
“The next morning I found her (Delta) in the same area.
“There were no skid marks.”
The 120kg Australian miniature pig — Ms Broadwood’s much loved pet — was dead.
“It was an obvious deliberate act,” Ms Broadwood said.
“What sort of sick person does something like that?”
Ms Broadwood said her house was lit up at the time Delta was hit, and it occurred only about 25 metres from her house, leading her to label those responsible as “brazen”.
She is worried that if her pig was seemingly targeted like this, something could happen to children or other animals in the area.
“If it starts with animals, where does it end?” she said.
“Are your pets safe? Are your children safe?”
Delta had escaped her paddock after floodwater on the property last year meant the electric fence was turned off for quite some time until the water drained away, and by then horses had weakened the fence.
To Ms Broadwood, Delta was more than just a pet, she was like a “substitute child”, Ms Broadwood said.
“I loved her.”
Ms Broadwood said the black, brindle and grey pig loved to eat lollies, and would also cheekily steal what she could — including saddle cloths or horse rugs — before taking them back to her own “nest” where she would hang out.
Delta’s owner could also lead her, and the pair was known around the town, turning up at the pet parade at the Numurkah Show and the puppy school, as well as visiting schools and school holiday programs.
Delta also loved the horses on the property.
“She used to like to lay and be licked by the young horses,” Ms Broadwood said.
“She was so gentle.
“She had a real personality.
“This was so unnecessary. If you lose an animal that’s bad enough, but if you lose it because of a wilful act it just kills you.”
Ms Broadwood has reported the matter to Numurkah police and feels so strongly that she is offering a $500 reward to anyone with information that leads to someone being charged over Delta’s death.
“I’m not going to stop until I find them,” she said.
“There would have to be damage to the vehicle.
“Someone would have to know.”
Anyone with information about the incident should contact Numurkah police on 5862 3311 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au