Justice for Porky

[tutusue]

Well, if you can stand a terribly sad tale about a much loved pet of the non-ordinary variety...check this (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Nov/10/ln/FP611100366.html) out. This story is getting the attention of national animal rights activists and will, hopefully, help change our local laws. The advertiser even published a Letter to the Editor (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061109/OPINION02/611090313/1108) (scroll at least half way down) that came from California.

Here's a little background from my friends Gracie and Paul Atkins, emailed on 11/3. They're on a mission to help...
Hi friends,

In case you don't already know, please read this (http://www.k5thehometeam.com/Global/story.asp?S=5611297&nav=menu177_3) article.

This was a brutal and senseless murder of a tame, domesticated, very talented and much loved feral pig. His name was Porky, he was part of a family who loved him, and he starred in a recent television commercial for Island Air. The circumstances of his death are not for the faint of heart and have left his owners heartbroken.

As of today, the police have done nothing about this violation except tell the bereaved owners they need to prove Porky had monetary value in order*to charge the*hunter who knifed Porky with more than trespassing.

In addition to the personal loss, Porky's death is a real loss to the local animal*talent pool. We*employed him and would continue to employ and*recommend him for future animal scenes. We want to do what we can to help Aaron and Camilla*in hopes such brutality will not happen again, and would appreciate*any support or information you can offer them in how to prove the future value of an animal actor.[...]
The police are on it now and and there's been more media attention. I'm ashamed to say the 'murderer' is from Makaha.

I never had the opportunity to meet Porky but I did work on the Island Air spot in which he appears...as did the Atkins. Lots of production folks are getting behind this sad story in hopes of changing the laws. The fact that, in Hawaii, animal cruelty, no matter how heinous, is a misdemeanor is shameful.

[pzarquon]

Saw this story on KHON tonight (http://www.khon2.com/news/local/4617366.html). They went with a "livestock theft" charge (class "C" felony) to bump it up from the misdemeanor for "animal cruelty." The suspect, Joseph Calarruda, has been in trouble before:On June 9th of this year he was arrested after bringing a high powered weapon to his work at Campbell Industrial Park on Hanua Street. He was charged as a felon in possession of a firearm, but posted a 40,000 dollar bond. Trial in the case is scheduled to start November 27th.

Five years ago Calarruda was convicted of kidnapping and abusing his girlfriend.The maximum penalty for the "livestock theft" charge is five years. It'll be interesting if the guy is found guilty, then ends up serving as much time for killing a pig as some people have served for killing people.

[tutusue]

Needless to say, we're hoping for the felony. It's so ridiculous that one can trespass on someone's private property and slaughter their family pet without much fear of punishment. But, stealing livestock can get someone 5 years in the slammer.

Hopefully, in this case, the felony will stick. Calarruda shouldn't be on the streets with his history.

Thanks for the new thread, PZ. I thought about posting about this subject a week ago but time got away from me. RN's pet thread reminded me to bring this subject to everyone's attention.

[Mike_Lowery]

I love irony. That dude's gonna be the one in the pen.

[WindwardOahuRN]

I was looking for the Porky post. Musical posts, again. When the music stops, drop the post somewhere else...:(

This just sickened me. I can't imagine the horror of watching a beloved pet slaughtered before my eyes. How heartbreaking.

The disgusting coward deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. "Hunter"??

No more a "hunter" than the gutless wonders who jumped a fence on Hamakua in Kailua few years ago and slaughtered two pet pigs (raised by hand by the children in the family), butchered them, and ran off with their "prize."

http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/4244463/detail.html

[Babooze]

I am very avid hunter and I must say this person is not a hunter he is a POACHER! I hope he gets whats coming to him and he is punished to the fullest extent of the law. I cannot comprehend tresspassing on someones property and than chasing a pig into someones garage and than killing it in front of people screaming at you to stop and that the pig is a pet. He knew what he was doing from the minute he decided to tresspass and let his dogs go.

[Adri]

According to the news, he killed the pig and dragged its body out and left it in front of the family members so I really think it was his retaliation for being warned off the property before and not that he wanted to hunt the pig or eat it for himself. I really hope the killer gets jail time and also mental health help.

[1stwahine]

The man is INSANE. The words I want to use is not allowed on the forum. To do what he did with the criminal background he has...he deserves to be locked-up for a long time! Porky was a Family Pet who was loved and cherished. Anyone who has ever loved a Pet knows the pain in mourning his owners are going through.:( Sadly, the bottom is he is an Animal. Still, I hope and pray the courts will take into account the facts and the history of his heartless murderer.

As they say...every Dog gets his day. Or sumting lil dat.
He'll get his!

Rest In Peace PORKY!

Auntie Lynn

[Miulang]

A sort of happy ending for the owners of Porky:

A Kahalu'u family is giving their pet pig, Leonardo DiPiggio (http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=5664909), to the family who lost their own pet pig to a crazy man.

Porky's owners agreed to adopt Leonardo, and the Buck family made their way to Mililani.

"He's like part of the family," said Kolu Buck. "It's like saying goodbye to a relative."

Porky's owners immediately took to Leonardo.

"He's adorable, absolutely adorable!" said Porky's owners.

"I think he's pretty laid back. I think he'll get along just fine," they said.



Miulang

[Palolo Joe]

I really hope the killer gets jail time and also mental health help.

The man is INSANE.

... lost their own pet pig to a crazy man.
Where is everyone getting this crazy crap? Even Auntie Lynn, who normally takes offense when one hurls the word as an insult?

Braddah is a thief, plain and simple. Probably a little stupid, too.

But crazy?

[1stwahine]

Where is everyone getting this crazy crap? Even Auntie Lynn, who normally takes offense when one hurls the word as an insult?

Braddah is a thief, plain and simple. Probably a little stupid, too.

But crazy?

Because: http://starbulletin.com/2006/11/11/news/story06.html
By Leila Fujimori

"On Oct. 22, Calarruda's hunting dogs allegedly cornered the 300-pound pig in the carport, according to a couple who are tenants on the farm. They asked not to be identified out of fear for their safety.

The husband said he kept yelling, "This is private property. This is a pet pig. Get your dogs and get out of here."

But Calarruda allegedly went into the carport and stabbed the pig to death, leaving blood everywhere, said the couple. He then hauled the pig to the edge of the carport and cut one of its legs off, they said.

That was when they noticed another man standing to the side of their house with more dogs on leashes."

"My husband screamed, 'Porky's dead!'" said the woman, who was fond of Porky. "I started screaming. I was just so sad. I was in shock."

No person in their right mind would do such a thing. I stand by my word ~ INSANE!

Love and Aloha

Auntie Lynn;)

[Adri]

Where is everyone getting this crazy crap? Even Auntie Lynn, who normally takes offense when one hurls the word as an insult?

Braddah is a thief, plain and simple. Probably a little stupid, too.

But crazy?

Because I don't think he did it to steal the pig. He had a previous encounter with someone from that place and it sounds like he killed the pig to get back at them for being warned to stay away.

[Palolo Joe]

Because I don't think he did it to steal the pig. He had a previous encounter with someone from that place and it sounds like he killed the pig to get back at them for being warned to stay away.
And I don't see how a "crazy" person can do something so premeditated.

He's not crazy. He's a criminal who deserves to be punished.

[Adri]

And I don't see how a "crazy" person can do something so premeditated.

He's not crazy. He's a criminal who deserves to be punished.

I never said he didn't deserve to be punished. and not all mental health issues mean one is stark raving, uncontrolled, gibbering, incomprehensible, dumb or incapable of planning. I don't mean, "oh he's mentally incompetent so he's not responsible for what he did" I mean he sounds like some kind of psychopath or sociopath (there may be some more appropriate description but psychiatry isn't my area)

ack my edit got et. I edited to say that I think the reason some people call this "crazy" is that the man's behavior is not in the realm of social "norms" ~ deliberately tresspassing on land to kill a pet knowingly (as opposed to by mistake) in front of witnesses who were screaming at him to not kill the pig and to get off their land. This wasn't someone looking to steal something or poach (in which case he probably would have tried to be stealthier and not do it in front of witnesses). He killed the pig, hacked off a leg, splattered blood about the place, dragged the pet's body in front of its owners and left it there in a manner that seems intended to inflict great distress upon the owners (and leave people in some fear as to how far this pet killer might go if there is a next time) not to just steal some fresh meat.

[joshuatree]

The guy shouldn't get jail time, that's like giving him free room and board for what he did. It's too bad our system doesn't have this but I'd say 10 lashes with the cane in public and hours of community service is a better punishment. Being in prison just lets him make connections with the wrong elements.

[manoasurfer123]

The guy shouldn't get jail time, that's like giving him free room and board for what he did. It's too bad our system doesn't have this but I'd say 10 lashes with the cane in public and hours of community service is a better punishment. Being in prison just lets him make connections with the wrong elements.
Lashes.... I dunno... this guy seems to not be all there... he might just enjoy the lashes.

I say put him in the "pen." Let the real pigs of society beat on him for a little while.

[joshuatree]

Lashes.... I dunno... this guy seems to not be all there... he might just enjoy the lashes.

I say put him in the "pen." Let the real pigs of society beat on him for a little while.

I guess if the man enjoys "The English Vice" then yeah, he might actually dig caning.

Otherwise, I'm not a big fan of throwing petty criminals into jails, especially when it's "smaller" acts of crime like killing pets, car thefts, ID thefts, etc. I really don't see what punishment is metted out to them by locking them up on the public's dime. They just end up making more connections to shady people and then use those connections when out.

[MadAzza]

I can get in a lot of trouble for saying this publicly, but I don't care:

This guy does not deserve to live and breathe and walk the same Earth as the rest of us. To think that he is walking the same streets as my 82-year-old mother, my friends' children, my neighbors and their family members ... is sickening and scary. It's not just him. He got caught. There are so, so many more like them. None of them deserves to live.

This piece of excrement is one legal violation away from murdering a human being (probably a weaker one -- an adult female who's stupid enough to live with him knowing his criminal history, or her innocent keiki, or some elderly person he encounters).

This guy is lower than scum. Somebody should put him out of our misery. Gee, did I say that out loud? I must be "crazy."

And Babooze is right: He is NOT a "hunter." I used to be a hunter. Real hunters don't ... Oh, god, if I have to explain, there's no point.

He is not a hunter. He is a piece of shit who has horribly scarred a family, and a community. He is a symbol and a lightning rod for every jerk who has ever done this type of thing.

I hope he dies a horrible, hideous, painful and (ahem) *natural* death. Nope, I'm not inciting any violence toward another human being. Not me. No, siree. Slowly, painfully and of natural causes. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Oh, and Joshuatree? Come over here and I'll inflict a "petty crime" on you. Then you can see if you think it's worth sending someone to jail for.

[manoasurfer123]

Did you know that there was actually a War between America and Britain that was started because of the killing of a pig?
Exactly thirteen years later, on June 15, 1859, the ambiguity led to direct conflict: Lyman Cutlar, an American farmer who had moved onto the island believing that he was entitled to live there under the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850, shot and killed a pig rooting in his garden.....The two lived in peace until this incident. Cutlar offered $10 to Griffin to compensate for the pig, but Griffin was unsatisfied with this offer and demanded $100. Following this reply, Cutlar believed he shouldn't have to pay for the pig because the pig had been trespassing on his land. (A possibly apocryphal story claims Cutlar said to the farmer "Keep your pigs out of my potatoes!" The farmer replied, "Keep your potatoes out of my pigs!"[4]) When British authorities threatened to arrest Cutlar, American settlers called for military protection.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_War
How could two nations prepare to battle over the death of a pig?
http://www.wahmee.com/pigwar.html
So as you can see... people are very protective of there pets! And this was in AMERICA!:p

[joshuatree]

Oh, and Joshuatree? Come over here and I'll inflict a "petty crime" on you. Then you can see if you think it's worth sending someone to jail for.

Huh?!? :confused:

If you read my previous posts, I actually think jail time is being too good on smaller criminals. Jail time does not reform them, only gives them the opportunity to make connections with bigger fish, plus free room and board. I actually think metting out corporal punishment would be a better fit. And less of a burden on the taxpayer because there's no need for housing and feeding the fool.

I referred to people like this pig killer as a petty criminal because looking at the bigger picture, he's not a rapist, murderer (human kind), or child molester. In those cases, I don't even think jail time is appropriate either, a quick death sentence is needed instead.

[Miulang]

Did you know that there was actually a War between America and Britain that was started because of the killing of a pig?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_War

http://www.wahmee.com/pigwar.html
So as you can see... people are very protective of there pets! And this was in AMERICA!:p

Back then, I don't think pigs were kept as "pets".:p Poor thing was probably a "working" animal (a porcine garbage disposal, perhaps?) And yes, that's a very famous story recounted by tour guides crusing into the harbor at San Juan Island.

Miulang

[buzz1941]

...the man's behavior is not in the realm of social "norms" ~ deliberately tresspassing on land to kill a pet knowingly (as opposed to by mistake) in front of witnesses who were screaming at him to not kill the pig and to get off their land... He killed the pig, hacked off a leg, splattered blood about the place, dragged the pet's body in front of its owners and left it there in a manner that seems intended to inflict great distress upon the owners...
Sounds like a "terroristic threatening" charge as well.