Acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren has given viral runaway pig Wilbur a new home.
The miniature pig, which became an internet hit after being filmed trotting along the streets of West Hollywood, was sold to the highest bidder during a silent auction on Thursday. Onsite reports identified the buyer as Warren, the celebrated composer behind the Toni Braxton hit "Un-break My Heart."
No owner had come forward to retrieve the animal, who was dubbed Wilbur after a TikTok clip of his Saturday outing went viral. The pig had been cared for at the West Los Angeles animal shelter following his capture later that afternoon.
According to officers at the facility, a number of people inquired about adopting him.
The black-and-white pig became an online celebrity after an e-bike rider spotted him running on a street parallel to Fairfax Boulevard and posted a video of the encounter.
The speedy pig was eventually corralled and taken to the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter, where he lolled in a pen, occasionally snacking on lettuce and feed or taking a drink to beat the summer heat.
The silent auction Thursday morning was the fairest way to select a suitable pig parent or parents, shelter officials said.
Marcia Zwilling, managing director of the Diane Warren Foundation, told ABC7 that Warren saw news clips of the pig running through West Hollywood and immediately called her, saying: “Please get the pig, get the pig!”
In addition to being a winner of multiple Grammy awards, Warren is also an animal welfare activist who runs a multi-acre animal rescue ranch in Malibu.
Warren told ABC7 that since she already has a Wilbur in her sanctuary, she will be naming the pig “Hollywood.”
"I lost Oscars, but I won a pig, it's awesome," Warren said.
Shelter officials said they were not at liberty to disclose the amount offered.
Animal control officials had said that anyone interested in adopting Wilbur had to demonstrate that their home is suitable for housing what is essentially a farm animal and that zoning regulations and other rules restrict the housing of pigs in Los Angeles residences.