COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP – A pig flew into the Poconos on Friday, and no, we’re not kidding.
Hank the Hog is now on his way to a happy temporary home in Canadensis.
Inbound at the Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport near Mount Pocono was a pilot and a pig in need of some TLC.
"Hank was just really sick and he was the runt of the litter and just something about him, the right person saw him on the right day and we networked him and here he is,” said Joyce Aleckna of Canadensis.
The Alecknas are part of the Pig Placement Network here in the U.S. and are helping this sick pig travel from Missouri to a sanctuary in New York State.
Volunteer pilot Cappy Eliassen with Pilot N’ Paws got this pig to fly for free even without racking up frequent flier miles.
"About halfway through the flight, I felt a little nudge on my hand and he came up to the front. Obviously, he wanted some cookies so I gave him some cookies and he went back and went to sleep,” said Eliassen.
Hank seems happy as a hog. He’s stopping for a few months to stay in the Poconos until the Chatham Animal Haven in upstate New York is ready to give him a happy forever home.
“The ground is too frozen to do fencing, so I will keep him until the ground thaws and then he leaves me,” said Aleckna.
Hank traveled first class from Kansas City, Missouri, bringing along a little travel bag that's filled with pig treats, toys, and even a pig passport.
“It's the first pig I've flown. But I've transported a lot by vehicle -- horses, cows, chickens, pigs, goats donkeys. I work with a lot of animal rescues,” said Eliassen.
Now that Hank has all four hooves on solid ground, he’ll be enjoying some good hearty food.
“It's like a pig mash, corn oats and stuff, they get lots of veggies.They eat better than I do,” said Aleckna.
A happy ending for a happy hog.