Tony James never imagined that he’d end up living out of his car with a dog and a 250-pound pig.
In June 2025, a run of bad luck left the 44-year-old veteran without shelter in Portland after his appendix ruptured and left him unable to work his job as a sheet metal fabricator. A month later, his partner of 11 years died from a heart attack, leaving their dog Elvis, and their pet pig, Roscoe, without a home.
With few places left to turn, James and his animals were forced to live in the cramped confines of his hatchback, relying on the kindness of strangers for food.
On Monday afternoon, their luck changed. Team members from Portland Fire & Rescue’s Community Health Assess and Treat program spotted the trio and stepped in to help. Less than 24 hours later, the city was in the process of setting up travel arrangements for James and Elvis to reunite with James’ family in Chicago, and Fire Bureau employees had already found a home for Roscoe.
“I’m so grateful,” James told reporters on Tuesday afternoon, perched on the tailgate of his car with Roscoe and Elvis beside him. “They made things happen so quickly.”
Living without shelter with the animals hadn’t been easy, James said. The appendix rupture nearly killed him, he said, and he lost 40 pounds that he still hasn’t been able to fully gain back. And while Roscoe — who James described as a “gentle giant” — generally got along swimmingly with Elvis, space in the car was scarce.
James managed to walk the two animals on a regular basis, though he learned to take them out at night because the enormous swine would draw curious crowds that tied him up in hours-long conversations about the affectionate pig.
“Roscoe listens better than Elvis does,” he said of the pig. “When I walk, he walks without being on a leash. Elvis is leashed up.”
For months, that was the trio’s life — until CHAT team members Aaron Botteron and Jethro Warnke spotted James. The duo’s work for CHAT calls on them to talk with people experiencing homelessness or other difficult situations, so they pulled over to see if James needed help.
After hearing his story, the pair quickly realized that James would be a candidate for a Portland Solutions program that helps reunite homeless veterans with their families.
There was only one problem: with James’ family in Chicago unable to take in a pig larger than some humans, where would Roscoe go?
Not long after, CHAT superintendent Melissa Dolan’s phone rang.
“My crew called me and let me know that they had a unique situation,” she said. “They wanted to know if I knew anybody that would house a pig.”
Dolan reached out to a contact in the animal rescue world that she knew through volunteer work. They weren’t able to take Roscoe, but knew someone who could — and a few phone calls later, the pig was set up to go to Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary in Scio.
James said that he’s overjoyed that his plus-sized pet will find a safe home. The animal shelter has even made arrangements for James to keep tabs on his four-legged friend, he said.
For his part, James hopes to rebuild his life in Chicago.
“You gotta ask for help,” he said of his experience with homelessness. “You just gotta stay positive and keep trucking through it all and stay strong.”
©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
