United Group Insurance

California-bound Iowa hogs stranded in Nebraska

Ag/Outdoor

August 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

 NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) – Central Nebraska authorities have found themselves the unintended caretakers of more than 100 hogs from Iowa that had been bound for California.  North Platte television station KNOP-TV reports that North Platte animal control officers struggled Tuesday to hose down the hogs that were stranded in a broken-down semitrailer for more than 13 hours. The truck broke down along U.S. Interstate 80 in North Platte around 9 a.m. Tuesday. Police say the driver’s log books were out of date. He was cited for several violations, including suspicion of animal cruelty. Chief Deputy Jim Agler says the hogs are now his department’s responsibility. Authorities planned to get the hogs fed and checked by a veterinarian and will try to recover the cost of caring for the hogs from their out-of-state owners.