SPCA Tampa Bay is fighting an animal cruelty charge after Waddles, a 300-lb. pig surrendered in 2024, was found dehydrated, sunburned and suffering from overgrown hooves. Photos of his condition went viral, prompting protests and a citation on July 31, 2025; an initial $223 payment was later reversed amid disputes. The shelter denies wrongdoing and argues it may be immune as a licensed veterinary establishment. Waddles is now recovering at Boarshead Ranch but remains blind in one eye.
Beloved Pig Waddles Found Severely Sunburned — SPCA Tampa Bay Faces Possible Shutdown
Waddles the Pig eating watermelon in an outdoor enclosureCredit: Fox 13 Tampa Bay/YouTube
A Florida animal shelter is facing an animal cruelty charge after a large pet pig in its care was discovered severely sunburned and near death. Waddles, a 300-lb. pig whose case drew millions of views online, was surrendered to SPCA Tampa Bay in 2024 and later found dehydrated with deep burns and overgrown hooves.
Background
The Hernandez family of Seminole, Florida, surrendered Waddles in 2024 after financial hardship and flooding forced them to relocate to Missouri. The family said they had raised Waddles since 2020 and tried contacting pig sanctuaries before surrendering him. They originally bought him on Craigslist as a 'mini pig' during the pandemic; he was about 20 lbs. at six months but later grew to roughly 300 lbs.
Discovery And Immediate Concerns
Weeks after the surrender, Largo police and animal responders were alerted and found Waddles dehydrated, with open sores, deep sunburn along his back and hindquarters, and hooves so overgrown he could not climb a ramp into a shaded barn. Photographs of his injuries went viral on social media, drawing public outrage and roughly 4 million views on TikTok.
“How did this happen? Why? No animal should have to suffer like that,” Claudine Hernandez told reporters.
Legal And Organizational Response
On July 31, 2025, the county's animal services cited SPCA Tampa Bay for failing to ensure Waddles had access to shelter that would protect him from sun exposure. The organization initially paid a $223 fee to resolve the citation, then reversed that payment amid internal disagreement about whether paying the fee would constitute an admission of guilt.
Waddles the pig in an outside penCredit: Pork Butt Pastures Inc. Nonprofit Pig Rescue & Boarding/Facebook
SPCA Tampa Bay has denied wrongdoing. Attorney Alec Waid has asked a judge to dismiss the cruelty charge, arguing the nonprofit should be immune because it operates as a licensed veterinary establishment. SPCA CEO Martha Boden said Waddles arrived with 'a number of different issues, including some skin irritation and some abrasions' and emphasized he had previously come from a situation with no shelter.
Waddles' Recovery
Waddles was moved to Boarshead Ranch in Lithia, Florida, where he was adopted by Connie Pavelich. Veterinary care there included hoof trimming and treatment for his burns; his white hair has mostly regrown over the injured areas. He is now blind in one eye — a condition foster carers suspect resulted from prolonged sun exposure — and lives in a shaded pen with two female potbellied pigs.
What’s At Stake
The legal outcome could have major consequences: if the 86-year-old nonprofit is found guilty of animal cruelty, it could lose its license and be forced to close. A judge is scheduled to hear arguments about the charge and the organization's alleged liability.
PEOPLE reached out to SPCA Tampa Bay for comment. Read the original coverage on People for more details.
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