Ariz. family seeks justice after FFA pig apparently beaten and stolen

A heartbreaking incident has left an Arizona FFA family searching for answers after their daughter’s pig is believed to have been beaten and stolen from a school land lab. The family posted to Facebook over the weekend to report the incident, saying that they had increased the reward to $800 for information leading to those responsible for the apparent attack.

Rachael Flores, whose daughter, Olivia, has been active in both 4-H and FFA, described the horrific scene discovered at the land lab over the weekend. Olivia’s pig, Maggie, was part of her carcass project — a culmination of months of work. Instead of preparing for the next step in her agricultural journey, Olivia is now grieving the loss of her animal. 

“She was at the girls wrestling sectionals trying to qualify for State the morning of. So really didn’t know until after sectionals. She’s been on a roller coaster of emotions all weekend,” Flores told AGDAILY.

The theft was discovered when Olivia’s cousin, who was going to feed the animal that morning, noticed the pig was missing. Olivia’s father arrived at the land lab to investigate and found a grisly scene — blood splattered across Maggie’s pen, a steel bar and branches used in the apparent beating, and evidence of a struggle where the pig was dragged out and loaded into a vehicle.

Authorities, including the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department and CRIT Fish and Game, were called to the scene, but with no security cameras in the area, leads have been difficult to track.

What makes the incident even more devastating, her mom said, is Olivia’s dedication to her animals. That same morning, she was competing in girls’ wrestling sectionals, working toward a chance at the state competition, unaware of the crime that had taken place. 

The family is determined to find those responsible and is urging anyone with information to come forward.

For those who can provide credible information, the family has offered an $800 reward and is asking the agricultural community to help spread the word. Anyone with knowledge of the incident is encouraged to reach out to the family or authorities.