On Jan. 29 the administrative office of the New Rochelle Humane Society turned into a barnyard as staff welcomed one of the shelter’s most recent residents, Peyton the pot-bellied pig.

Two-year-old, 55-pound Peyton wound up in New Rochelle as a result of a sincere yet unsuccessful rescue attempt facilitated by members of Iona’s Delta Upsilon Fraternity.

“We had good intentions, but we didn’t really think it through,” DU president Stephen DeRosa said.

Several days prior to Peyton’s arrival in New Rochelle, DeRosa and two of his fraternity brothers were reportedly browsing the internet when they discovered an advertisement surrendering the swine. Cited as the reason for his relocation were Peyton’s poor relations with the original owner’s german shepherds.

The frat brothers decided to take responsibility for Peyton out of concern for his welfare.

“We didn’t have any intention of keeping him,” said DeRosa. “We wanted to take him for the weekend and work on finding another home for him. We were worried about what would happen if someone else took him.”

On Jan. 28 Peyton made the trip from his home in Long Island to the frat brothers’ off-campus apartment on North Ave. He made himself comfortable in the back room while DeRosa and his friends worked on finding him a permanent home. However, Peyton’s stay was shorter than anticipated.

The day after Peyton was picked up, he found himself trading places again, this time by his own devices.

“Pigs are smart,” said DeRosa. “I was told that he opened the back door while my friend was in the other room and he got into the yard. That’s when he was spotted next door.”

Too smart for his own good, Peyton had let himself into the yard only to be seen by the management of the nearby Blackboard pizzeria. The authorities were called to deal with the misplaced pig, and he soon ended up at the New Rochelle Humane Society, his third home in 24 hours.

The earliest stories covering the incident left out many details and caused great skepticism. Initial coverage by NBC New York on Jan. 30 reported that Peyton was a stray that had roamed into the backyard of a New Rochelle frat house, a claim that put the fraternity under fire.

Peyton’s first picture to debut on the New Rochelle Humane Society Facebook page was accompanied by a caption that read “What a way to end a busy day. Pig rescued from a frat house.”

An article published by lohud.com sported a similar headline: “Pig rescued from New Rochelle frat brothers’ apartment.”

In the end, DeRosa and his fraternity brothers received due recognition for their role in Peyton’s rescue.

In an interview with theLoop, shelter manager Dana Rocco said, “They were trying to do the right thing.”

Peyton has spent the past week waddling and snorting his way around his temporary office home at the NRHS. He has been a star in the community, appearing in numerous articles, Facebook posts and even television news features. This paper-trained porker has even learned several tricks, as seen in an online video posted by NRHS.

Since NRHS does not have the proper resources or facilities to provide long-term care for a pig, the shelter planned to relocate Peyton to a species specific rescue until he could find a permanent home.

This personable pig, however, has had no trouble in finding a home. After barely a week-long stay in New Rochelle, the move was made possible by Ross Mill Farm in Pennsylvania. On Feb. 4 Peyton packed his bags and headed off to his new home in New Hampshire, where he is sure to be as happy as a pig in mud.

Inspired by Peyton’s story? Join Campus Minister Jennifer Pietrofere and volunteer at the NRHS to help other animals in need. Must attend volunteer orientation to be eligible. Upcoming orientations are scheduled for Apr. 14 and May 5. For more information and additional dates contact Jennifer Pietrofere at [email protected].