A couple in Cleveland are devastated after their beloved pet mini-pig was stolen in a home break-in.
Spam, a one-year-old 15-pound mini-pig has gone missing after a robbery at a house in Cleveland.
When Paul Etzler returned home from work on Monday, he found the back door wide open and the back window popped off.
A Cleveland couple’s beloved pet pig Spam was stolen from their home on Monday
Mini-pigs can be worth thousands of dollars. The pig’s owners believe he may have been stolen with the intention to sell
Burglars had stolen two flat screen TVs, laptops, a tablet, along with the family’s pet.
‘We don’t know if they were specifically targeting him and took the other items as well, or if they saw Spam as a bonus,’ Valerie Couch told DailyMail.com.
Valerie isn’t sure why Spam was taken, but guesses it could possibly be financially motivated.
‘Mini-pigs generally are sold for money, so my assumption is they intended to try to sell him,’ she said.
Mini-pigs are worth at least $500, but often cost thousands of dollars. Female pigs are more expensive, as are pigs that stay smaller.
Valerie Couch and partner Paul Etzler have launched a GoFundMe to help bring Spam home
The couple immediately contacted the police, but Valerie does not feel that they are taking the case seriously.
Valerie was able to ‘ping’ her stolen tablet and found an address that she provided to the police, though she does not believe it has been followed up on.
‘We understand there are other crimes that take priority. Nobody was responsive,’ Valerie said. ‘We have since provided multiple locations to the detective. I have no response as to what may have transpired with those addresses.’
Valerie said that police have not been helpful in searching for the missing pig named Spam
Valerie and Paul even attempted to drive by the residences themselves to hunt for their missing pig.
They did not go inside for fear of their safety, and unfortunately did not discover Spam.
The couple has an Italian Mastiff named Bernie and a cat named Jacboy, who were both left unharmed.
Spam has been with the family for just under a year. They got him last November when he was about four months old.
Valerie has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for a reward to anyone who can bring Spam home.