Yoenis Cespedes' pig plot piques PETA's ire

Yoenis Cespedes purchased a $7,000 grand champion hog from the county fair, but the New York Mets outfielder was not allowed to take it home.

Cespedes owns a ranch in Boca Raton, where he keeps horses and other livestock, but the Mets issued a statement claiming local laws don't allow for keeping hogs purchased at the fair.

"The animal can't be taken home as a pet," said the Mets in a statement. "There is some sort of state law here in Florida that a hog bought at auction must be slaughtered. So, it's not really Yoenis' decision. It just the rule. The pig is not a pet."

No matter what dictated the decision, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), took the opportunity to speak out on behalf of the pig.

"Yoenis Cespedes can afford $7,000 out of his own pocket, and this loving, loyal, and clever pig is paying the real price with his life," PETA vice president Lisa Lange said Thursday. "It's a shame that Cespedes dropped the ball here and missed the opportunity to send this pig to a sanctuary, where he could have lived out his days in peace. We're sending Cespedes some delicious vegan bacon in the hope that he'll open his heart, not clog it with pig fat."