A "very, very young" stray pig was found in the northwest part of Winnipeg last weekend — even though pigs are not allowed to be pets in the city, and there are no farms nearby where it was found.

On Saturday evening, the agency received a report about the pig and picked it up on Leila Avenue in Garden City. The female pig is believed to be either a Kunekune or Juliana pig, about eight to 12 weeks old, and it can grow to be between 100 and 400 pounds, said Leland Gordon, chief operating officer of animal services.

"It's incredibly rare," said Gordon when asked how often animal services comes across a lost pig.

It may happen two or three times a year, he said.

The pig had no injuries when it was collected, and is now staying at the animal services facility and eating specialized food.

"The pig has a blanket, she has a nice kennel and we're all hoping of course for a nice, positive outcome for this pig," said Gordon.

"If we don't find the owner of this pig, we've already established different rescues and groups outside of Winnipeg that can give this pig a home in a farm setting."

According to a Facebook post on Winnipeg Lost Dog Alert, a possible owner was contacted Sunday afternoon. But when Gordon spoke with CBC News, the pig's story was still unknown — especially since there are no farms nearby where it was picked up.

"We don't know. Was this a pet pig or was this used for slaughter? Is this pig going to be grown to be eaten?" he said.

Gordon stressed that it is illegal under a city by-law to have farm animals such as cows, goats and pigs as domesticated pets.

There's no imminent danger for having a pig in the city, but a more diverse pet population makes animal services more complicated, and it is better for farm animals to be outside of an urban setting.

"It's always important to know that animals like pigs like to wallow," said Gordon.

"One of the biggest things they love is having a mud pit or something where they can wallow. And wallowing, believe it or not, helps pigs stay cool, or stay warm."

If someone is found to have a prohibited animal under the by-law, then they will received an order to get it outside of the city limits within a certain period of time, otherwise they will be given a fine.

If the pig is in custody for five days, Gordon can send her where ever he thinks is best, according to the by-law.

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