Pinellas County, Florida - About a year ago, a 350-pound pig aptly named Waddles was rescued from the SPCA Tampa Bay, Florida. The animal was in bad shape, and now, he's at the center of an animal cruelty case that could lead to the closure of the shelter.

Before Waddles was turned over to SPCA Tampa Bay, he lived with a loving family, the Hernandezes. After raising Waddles from piglet to porker, a devastating hurricane and the pig's expensive appetite forced the family, which was moving to Missouri, to give up the hog.

His family thought he'd be safe at the SPCA Tampa Bay, but that wasn't the case.

Officials said Waddles was severely dehydrated and sunburnt. According to the police, the pig had suffered horrific burns and had multiple open wounds.

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Even worse, the animal's hooves were so overgrown he could barely walk to get out of the sun.

"When I got there to see him, I was absolutely horrified at the condition he was in," Waddle's rescuer, Kelly Dill, told FOX13. "He was raw and bloody, with no water – just out in the hot sun, roasting."

Dill, who runs Pork Butt Pastures pig rescue, took Waddle to her Plant City farm and got to work caring for the porker.

Following the pig's rescue, the county's animal services department cited the SPCA for failing to ensure that the pig had access to shelter that would have protected him from the sun. At the time, the organization paid a $223 fine to resolve the case, but, as the Tampa Times reported, they took it back.

The SPCA is now arguing that the board didn't realize that by paying the fine they were admitting guilt in an animal cruelty case – a charge that could strip the organization of its license.

The SPCA has repeatedly claimed that the organization's facilities aren't to blame for the pig's shocking injuries.

One of the SPCA's lawyers, Alec Waid, told the Tampa Times that they've asked for the judge to drop the charge.

Waid contends that the SPCA should be immune from animal cruelty complaints because it's "a licensed veterinary establishment." The judge disagreed and moved the case to trial.

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The trial begins Wednesday in Pinellas County. If the SPCA is convicted of animal cruelty, it could lose its license and permits.

The SPCA, per Waid, met "adequate shelter requirements." The legal team contends that there was a barn for Waddles, even if the large porker couldn't get to it.

Photos and videos of the pig's sunburns went viral last year, as multiple media outlets have reported. Waddle has become a celebrity, and many are calling for justice.

While the court battle rages, Waddles is recuperating at Boarshead Ranch in Lithia, Florida. There, his wounds have healed, and he is living his best life!