Pigs roaming freely in Cloverdale, 1 dead; alleged owner charged with ‘animals running at large’

CLOVERDALE, Ind. — Pigs are reportedly running loose in a small Indiana town, with one pig dying and the alleged owner apologizing after being arrested. The local sheriff has warned residents that they cannot kill the pigs.

The alleged owner, William Morrison, originally denied owning the pigs when speaking to town officials. However, in an exclusive interview Friday with FOX59/CBS4, he took responsibility for the pigs running loose and apologized to the neighbors who have been affected.

Although Morrison is only charged with misdemeanor offenses, we are naming him in this article since he agreed to an on-camera interview.

Pigs loose in Cloverdale

Jason Hartman is the town manager of Cloverdale, a town of around 2,150 people in Putnam County. He confirmed Friday that several pigs from a farm outside of city limits have roamed into Cloverdale.

“Some of these pigs have entered the Cloverdale town limits and have done substantial damage to gardens, yards and landscaping,” Hartman said in an email to FOX59/CBS4.

Officials said they have not received any reports of the pigs attacking humans or causing physical injury. However, at least one pig has reportedly died after being hit by a car on Friday morning.

The animals are allegedly coming from a barn on E. State Road 42 that sits just outside city limits. The farm reportedly has a damaged fence and is unable to keep pigs inside.

The pigs, which officials said are “famous,” range in color from black and brown to blonde. As of Friday afternoon, at least two of the pigs are reportedly still on the loose. A picture of some of the escaped pigs can be seen below:

Hartman said the town is now doing everything it can to try and round up the pigs, including speaking with a licensed trapper and asking several local farmers for help.

Indiana law reportedly stopped the town from hiring the trapper, as pigs are domesticated animals, while the farmers allegedly showed no interest in helping.

“Animals running at large”

The alleged owner of the pigs, identified by officials as William Morrison of Cloverdale, has been criminally charged at least six times since the beginning of July.

The charge? “Animals running at large” – a class B misdemeanor in Indiana.

Hartman said that he personally has spoken with Morrison, who allegedly “acknowledged that his fence was/is not satisfactory in keeping his pigs on the property.” However, Morrison later denied ownership of the animals.

A Facebook page for “Morrison Homestead and Farm” in Cloverdale states that a man named William Morrison specializes in hogs and other animals. In a 2023 advertisement, the farm said they have 55 new piglets available for sale or breeding.

Morrison was reportedly arrested and booked into the Putnam County Jail last Friday, Aug. 1. He was then released on Monday.

Hartman said that when speaking with Morrison on Tuesday, the farmer said he had hired an attorney who advised him to deny ownership of the pigs.

However, in an interview with FOX59/CBS4 on Friday, Morrison broke down in tears and apologized to the Cloverdale community for the issues that the pigs have caused.

Sheriff says you cannot kill the pigs

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office addressed the pig debacle in a Facebook post on Thursday afternoon, telling locals that it is illegal for them to take matters into their own hands.

“As many of you are aware, there have been numerous complaints about pigs roaming freely in and around Cloverdale,” the post read. “We have had several questions on the laws pertaining to the dispatch of such animals.”

The post goes on to discuss Indiana Code 35-46-3-12, which deals with animal cruelty and the killing of domestic animals.

“Indiana Law states that the killing of a domestic animal without the consent of the owner is a level 6 felony,” the post read.

However, the Sheriff went on to state certain circumstances where it would be legal to kill such an animal, including:

• “To prevent injury to the accused or another person.”
• “To protect one’s property from destruction or serious damage.”
• “Or to prevent a seriously injured vertebrate animal from prolonged suffering.”

The post went on to say that Cloverdale may have its own additional laws pertaining to animals.

“Keep in mind that the Town of Cloverdale has its own rules and ordinances that citizens must follow as well,” the post said. “We do NOT speak for Cloverdale on anything within their town limits.”

Moving forward

The charges against Morrison were filed in Putnam Superior Court and a pretrial conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sept. 17. If convicted, Morrison could face up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for each B misdemeanor charge.

Hartman said Cloverdale police officers and utility employees were busy on Friday trying to round up a few pigs in the area of South Main Street. FOX59/CBS4 crews were unable to find any pigs when roaming through the city on Friday afternoon.