Lulu the pot-bellied pig created quite the media storm when she played dead in the middle of a road to save her dying owner. The story begins in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, when Jo Ann and Jack Altsman agreed to babysit their daughter’s Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, Lulu. The temporary babysitting turned into a permanent fixture and the bond between the pig and her new parents grew strong. Jack was away fishing on Lake Erie at the time, and no one else was around. Jo Ann was inside the couple’s vacation trailer at Presque Isle when she collapsed on the floor. She yelled for help, and even managed to throw an alarm clock out the window in an attempt to grab the attention of anyone who might have been nearby. All of her efforts were to no avail. Bear, the couple’s American Eskimo dog, heard Jo Ann yell out, but only barked in response. Lulu, however, heard Bear’s barks and Jo Ann’s cries for help and quickly acted. To get help, Lulu forced her way out of the yard — getting snagged on the fence and leaving her skin torn and bleeding — and headed onto the road to lay down in front of traffic. Amazingly, a few cars were reported to have driven around the 150-pound pig. Finally, one driver stopped and Lulu was able to lead him back to the trailer. The man yelled out, “Your pig’s in distress.” Jo Ann replied back, “I’m in distress, too. Please help me.” The man called 911 and Jo Ann was transported to the hospital, where she underwent open-heart surgery. Doctors said that had 15 more minutes passed, it would have been too late for Jo Ann. Lulu’s fame was sealed, as not only did local papers cover the story, but it was picked up by USA Today and People magazine as well. She even made appearances on Today and Oprah. Beyond all the attention and celebrity circus, all Lulu really needed, of course, was the continued affection of the Altsman family……..and maybe a jelly donut or three.
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| Jo Ann and Lulu |
