When the Animal Rescue League of Boston rescued Maybelle, she weighed 196 pounds.
The 1-year-old pot-bellied pig was immobile, had developed pressure sores and couldn't see due to a roll of flesh covering her eyes. Her hooves were also overgrown and causing discomfort.
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“It’s not healthy,” ARL law enforcement officer Darleen Wood told WBZ. “It’s not healthy for an animal to be malnourished, nor is it good to be obese, even a pig.”
ARL's veterinary staff have created a plan to help Maybelle go from morbidly obese to a "fully-functional animal," the organization said in a statement.
“It was a collaboration and it took some research," said ARL veterinarian Kate Gollon in the statement. “She needs to lose about 80 pounds and regain her strength. So, once we had all the information, we decided to take a number of steps to begin moving Maybelle in the right direction.”
Maybelle's previous owner only fed her dog food. Now, she's being fed six small meals a day of feed and vegetables.
According to ARL, she is already losing weight and her mobility has been improving since they rescued her several weeks ago.
Maybelle's road to recovery is a long one. ARL said it will take up to a year for Maybelle to return to a normal weight.
In the meantime, she's receiving plenty of love and support from staff and members of the public who have been following her story.
“Enrichment has been so important and the staff has been great,” Gollon said in the statement. “The staff are sitting with her, comforting her, and she enjoys petting and being scratched, it’s made a tremendous difference.”
Maybelle's previous owner, Megan Caterino, is facing animal cruelty charges, reported. Maybelle is the third pig to be taken from Caterino's residence.