Residents on Gallup’s east side woke to the news that a five-day search for an escaped pig had ended when the Gallup Police Department apprehended the animal on October 18, 2025. The porcine escape, which began around October 13, drew neighborhood searches and the attention of local authorities before the animal was safely corralled and returned to its owners; no one was injured and no charges were filed.

Local reporting by KRQE News confirms the sequence of events and the involvement of both the Gallup Police Department and Gallup-McKinley County Animal Protection in resolving the incident. Authorities coordinated with community members during the search, reflecting a neighborhood-level response to what began as a light-hearted and unusual disruption. The animal’s popular nickname, "Ham Solo," circulated in local updates and helped frame the episode as a communal story rather than a criminal matter.

While the escape did not produce injuries, officials and residents say incidents with loose livestock can present public-safety risks in residential areas. Stray animals may create traffic hazards, cause property damage, or become distressed in urban environments, placing additional demands on municipal resources. In this case, the measured response by police and animal protection officials resolved the situation without escalation, demonstrating established procedures for non-emergency animal incidents in McKinley County.

Gallup-McKinley County Animal Protection assisted in contacting the pig’s owners and facilitating the animal’s return, illustrating the agency’s role in pairing public-safety work with animal welfare considerations. No individual officers or private citizens have been publicly named in reports, keeping the focus on institutional coordination rather than personal attention. Searches of official social media posts by the police department did not locate direct postings about the capture, though community updates and local news coverage relayed the outcome.

The episode underlines the value of community cooperation in a county where rural lifestyles and urban neighborhoods intersect. Residents’ prompt reporting and willingness to assist helped reduce the time the animal spent loose and minimized potential disruptions. For municipal officials, the event is a reminder of the variety of calls police and animal control handle—ranging from traffic enforcement and emergency response to the humane management of stray livestock.

Aspects of the case remain to be clarified, including the exact circumstances of the pig’s initial escape and details about the owners, which were not disclosed in public reports. Local officials could publish additional logs or follow-up statements if questions persist. For now, Gallup residents can take reassurance from a resolution that prioritized safety, animal welfare and community engagement—an outcome that turned an unusual incident into a shared neighborhood story.