Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption The pot-bellied pig is a domesticated breed that originated in Vietnam (stock photo)

A Canadian man who butchered and ate an adopted pet pig has apologised.

The British Columbia (BC) resident said he "feels remorse and regret" for eating three-year-old Molly, a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.

He said on Facebook that the pig was killed after it became aggressive and tried to break through a glass door, Global News reported.

Molly was rescued by a branch of the BC SPCA as part of a cruelty investigation and adopted in January.

Less than a month later, the pig's new owners killed and ate her.

The couple are also alleged to have posted photos and videos of them preparing the meat on social media platform Snapchat.

"I do promise that Molly died humanely and it was not done for fun or for sport," the Canadian man wrote online.

He also said that the couple had received death threats.

The Vancouver Island man has since deleted the apology that was posted on Facebook.

Leon Davis, who works for the SPCA and helped nurse Molly back to health after her rescue, told CBC News that his first reaction to news of her fate was shock.

"To hear that somebody did this to an animal that we worked so hard to make sure was healthy, and tried to get into a good home, is absolutely heartbreaking," he told the broadcaster.

Under Canadian law, an animal is considered property and it is therefore not technically illegal to kill and eat a pet.

A representative for the SPCA told Global News that authorities had investigated the matter and found that Molly was killed humanely.

The couple who adopted Molly will no longer be allowed to adopt an animal from any of the SPCA branches in the province, the organisation told Chek News.

Animal rights groups are urging people upset by Molly's death to support efforts to lobby for stricter animal cruelty regulations in Canada.