Massachusetts

Boar Attacks, Injures Husband, Wife at Farm in Townsend, Massachusetts

Townsend Animal Control has decided to euthanize the animal involved

A husband and wife were hospitalized — one with life-threatening injuries — after being attacked by a boar Tuesday night at their small farm in Townsend, Massachusetts, authorities said.

Police and fire officials responded to the farm at 188 Fitchburg Rd. around 6 p.m. after the 150-pound male pig attacked 38-year-old Shannon Hernandez, according to the Townsend Police Department.

"It was scary, because, you know, blood coming down, I didn't know how bad I was," Shannon Hernandez said.

She said the 5-year-old boar she's had for three years escaped from his stall and went after her female pigs.

"The girls come into heat every 21 days, so it's my responsibility to keep him quarantined enough that he's not going to break through. And he did, he broke through," she said.

That's when she said the animal turned on her, goring her arm, leg and wrist. She was taken to Leominster Hospital, but less than two hours later, the same animal attacked her husband, 50-year-old Jose Hernandez, leaving him with serious, life-threatening injuries.

"He had went over to pick up the water to clean it out and refill it. And Boss (the pig) just came at him and gashed him," Shannon Hernandez said.

Two main arteries in his right hand were cut during the attack, she said. Jose Hernandez was rushed by Townsend EMS to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. A witness said he was conscious and alert on the way to the hospital. 

"He's lost a lot of blood. They said they put two pints of blood into him at the hospital," his wife said.

Jose Hernandez was upgraded to "stable" condition on Wednesday and police said he is expected to survive."

The pig is currently quaraintined on the Hernandez's property. Townsend Animal Control announced Wednesday afternoon that it had decided to euthanize the pig at some point on Thursday. A rabies test is also being conducted as a precaution.

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