'Like a Renaissance painting': Dramatic photos show Florida police trying to catch loose pig

TORONTO -

A high-speed chase involving Florida police officers and a runaway pig made for some amusing picture-perfect moments on Tuesday morning.

In a Facebook post, the Pensacola Police Department shared several photos showing their officers’ enthusiastic efforts to catch the loose pig on the streets of north downtown Pensacola, Fla.

The dramatic photos, captured by Tony Giberson with the Pensacola News Journal, show officers leaping, crouching, and, eventually, wresting the spotted potbelly pig to the ground.

According to the police department, they initially received calls on Monday night about “an ugly dog or perhaps a Chupacabra run amok in the downtown.”

However, come morning, they realized the mysterious animal was none other than “a determined pig that had zero intention of returning home.”

The Pensacola News Journal reported that at least five officers began chasing the pig before at least two animal control officers and two code enforcement officers joined them.

“No warrants on the pig, don't know why he's running or where he came from,” police spokesperson Mike Wood cheekily told the newspaper in a text message.

The officers eventually managed to capture the wayward pig in about an hour, according to local media.

In a tweet that morning, the police department said the pig was “in safe hands with county animal control.”

Following the excitement, the Pensacola Police Department thanked the news photographer for making the “caper” look like a “Renaissance painting.”

“That’s some pig,” the police department concluded.