text: A Michigan family have been left devastated after a state Department of Natural Resources officer shot dead their beloved pet potbelly pig, claiming little 'Caesar' made him feel threatened while on the loose. Brandy Savelle and Tony Gervasi had Caesar for two years and were recently trying to teach him to an outside animal. When Caesar went missing from their home in Ispheming on the weekend, the family tried to find him, and followed some tracks in the soft grass. 'When I followed the prints ... it was like a puddle of blood, at first I didn't believe it,' Savelle told WLUC-TV. Killed: Little Caesar was shot dead at the weekend after wandering off from his family's home in Ispheming in northern Michigan. He was killed by a DNR officer, who believed he was feral . Beloved: Brandy Savelle (pictured) and Tony Gervasi have had Caesar as a pet for about two years, and had been trying to teach him to stay outdoors when he wandered off . BFFs: Caesar and the family's pet dog got along famously, the couple said . Savelle continued: 'I just started screaming for him.' The incident became quite a big deal in the area, with announcements on Facebook quickly spreading and a page set up on Go Fund Me. A day later, a Natural Resources officer showed up at the couple's door. 'We figured he had information so with excitement, Brandy answered the door asking if he knew anything about the pig,' Mr Gervasi said. 'The man responded ''Actually, I am responsible for the missing pig…'' The officer explained that Caesar 'came out of the woods at me running at a trotting pace'. He said he 'felt threatened' so shot him. The officer maintained he believed the animal was feral. Scene: Mr Gervasi took this photo of the blood they found after following Caesar's tracks and put the photo on Facebook when the pig was still missing, which quickly spread . Shot dead: The officer explained that Caesar 'came out of the woods at me running at a trotting pace' and that he shot the pig, believing he was a feral animal . Harmless: The state is defending a Department of Natural Resources conservation officer who shot Caesar on the belief the pig was wild . The shooting also happened on state land. In such circumstances officers are permitted to shoot animals that can carry disease and/or damage property. Peter Wright, a law supervisor for the DNR, told WLUC-TV that the officer was just doing his job. He said the officer believed it was a feral pig, since it had no identifying marks to distinguish him as a pet. 'I want to make it very clear that it's never ever, ever the department's position that we want to shoot people's pets,' said Wright. 'If he had any inkling it was a pet, he absolutely wouldn't have shot it.' Upsetting: The family are now trying to get Caesar's body in order to bury him, but have been told they can only take possession of his ashes . Brandy Savelle and Tony Gervasi are now trying to get Caesar's body back. However they have been told they can only take possession of ashes. Ms Savelle is demanding that some sort of recourse comes out of the situation. 'If it was that big of a mistake then we would like to see better training,' she said. 'Let's learn to identify not just pigs, but all pets.'
target: Caesar went missing at the weekend from his owner's home in Ispheming .
  Brandy Savelle and Tony Gervasi followed his tracks and found blood .
  After news spread in the area, a DNR officer came to their home .
  He explained Caesar came running at him and he shot him dead .
  He believed Caesar was wild and a threat, he said .
  Shooting occurred on state land so the officer was within his rights .