Piggy Paradise...Rooting out Pignorance one human at a time

VOLUNTEERING IN PIGGY PARADISE

platiapa — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:18:59 GMT

We are in the process of transcribing the "Volunteer Guest Book" that our volunteers have been filling since early February 2009. Watch for it in the next week. Lots of good entries! And it can give you a taste of what it is like to spend some time with our piggies!

WORD OF WARING ... if you are planning a visit to Best Friends and wish to volunteer with our piggies, make sure to let the Volunteer Department know when scheduling your visit. We are a very popular area and have a limit on the number of volunteers we can have per session. It's always best to get your time scheduled in Piggy Paradise before you actually have your orientation meeting with the Volunteer Coordinator.

Just a suggestion :)

Hog Hoax

jhayes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:17:32 GMT

The current craze for mythical "teacup" pigs as pets will result in thousands of these animals ending up at overburdened sanctuaries, shelters and rescue groups when they outgrow their purported small size, according to Best Friends Animal Society.

Yvonne McIntosh, an animal care manager for Best Friends who is an expert on potbellied pigs, says she was "horrified" when MSNBC, The Today Show, New York Post and other media ran cutesy stories about supposedly tiny pigs and gushed when Paris Hilton and Rupert Gint, of Harry Potter fame, recently adopted supposed micro pigs.

"You can call them 'teacup,' 'mini,' 'micro,' or 'thimble,' but the truth is the supposedly tiny pigs do not exist," says McIntosh who manages Piggy Paradise at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. "People who think they are buying a pig that stays small are being fooled. Unscrupulous breeders are breeding pigs less than a year old, and by the time the litter is born, the parents still are only about eight months old and far below their full size.

McIntosh says it takes four to five years for pigs to reach full growth. "The breeders tell folks that the piglets will be no bigger than the parents, but the buyer doesn't realize the parent pigs are nowhere near full-grown themselves. Unfortunately, most people believe these breeders/sellers and do not educate themselves before they buy the pigs."

McIntosh compares the small pig fad to a time when Los Angeles shelters were overwhelmed with small, purebred dogs that people bought so they could carry one in their purse, but eventually were abandoned in droves. When the novelty wears off, when the pig reaches 150 to 300 pounds instead of the 40 pounds it was supposed to be, or when people find out their local zoning doesn't allow pigs, there is no place for them to go and they become homeless.

McIntosh has surveyed colleagues at pig sanctuaries and rescue organizations such as PigASus Sanctuary, Forgotten Angels Rescue & Education Center and Hamalot Pot Bellied Pig Rescue about their experiences with this trend. Some 300 full-to-capacity potbellied pig rescues throughout the country house approximately 300,000 potbellied pigs. And in the current economy, potbellied pig rescuers are also seeing increased requests to take in even more pigs.

"One pig sanctuary owner received a call from a woman who wanted to dump the two potbellied pigs she's had for almost nine years so that she could buy 'teacup-sized' pigs," McIntosh says.

Sadly, the lucky pigs may be the ones who end up in rescue. It is not uncommon for the pigs to be simply turned out as strays, even in cities. Many are taken to shelters and euthanized without any chance at adoption or placement. Other owners will kill the pigs or send them to auction where they can be bought for as little as $2 dollars and used to train fighting dogs or other similar fates.

"A huge number of these little pigs also end up being stuck all alone in a small enclosure in a back corner of the yard, quite neglected once the novelty has worn off and the pig is fully grown," McIntosh said. "Because they are extremely social animals, this is a torturous life for them. There are thousands and thousands of 'miniature' pigs killed every year."

And while the media-driven craze for toy-size pigs continues, it totally blots out the most important fact -- that pigs are wonderful companion animals.

"At Best Friends our motto is rooting out 'pignorance' one human at a time," McIntosh adds. "There are scientific studies that show pigs are smarter than dogs. They can be trained to do tricks. They are easier to housebreak than dogs. They are clean animals who love affection and give it back --on their pig terms of course. Socialized pigs actually crave human company.

"Bringing a pig into your home is not quite the same as bringing home a dog or cat; pigs require specialized care and proper housing ... that's why it is so important to fully educate yourself before getting one," McIntosh says.

To learn more about the ever-engaging potbellied pigs, visit the Best Friends Pet Care Library's section, "You and Your Pig" and the Piggy Paradise group on the Best Friends Network.

If after learning about potbellied pigs you are still interested in adding one to your home, please consider adopting one of the Best Friends Adorable Adoptable pigs.

See the Best Friends video response to this "teacup" pig craze.

By Best Friends staff

Photo by Jennifer Hayes

Beating the system

jhayes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:04:11 GMT

Everybody loves a good mystery. Especially once it's solved. ...

Contrary to what some believe, potbellied pigs are not supposed to be really big. Yes, they have a unique body shape that gives them their oh-so-enviable name, but otherwise, they tend to stay trim and healthy if given the right amount of diet and exercise.

For the rest of the Sanctuary Story featuring Jack the pig, click here.

Photo by Molly Wald

Jersey Girls, part two

jhayes — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:59:42 GMT

If you're an animal looking to cultivate your very own devoted fan club, you could do a whole lot worse than finding your start in New Jersey. For years, a small group of women from New Jersey who dub themselves "The Jersey Girls" have been visiting the sanctuary and spending time with their favorite animals, often some of the older residents in Dogtown.

Well, looks like it's time for a Jersey Girls sequel, this time for the pigs!

For the rest of the Sanctuary Story, please click here.

Photo by Gary Kalpakoff

Teddy says "Thanks for a great meal!"

platiapa — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:25:53 GMT

Sprocket will sit for a treat anytime!

platiapa — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:24:11 GMT

Jack loves walking the volunteers. He's walking Don Rose here.

platiapa — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:21:22 GMT

Jack believes there's nothing quite like a good wallow!

platiapa — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:14:54 GMT

Becky Rose socializing with Jake and Pepe'

platiapa — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:07:21 GMT

Piggy Protest

isabelm — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:40:33 GMT

“Teacup” pigs? There’s no such thing, so help put an end to their recent publicity by voicing your opinion to the “Today Show” and New York Post.

Read the full story at: http://network.bestfriends.org/golocal/utah/news.aspx?pID=13370

Piggy Protest

jhayes — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:54:34 GMT

We here at Piggy Paradise and Best Friends are committed to working toward a time when there are No More Homeless Pets, which includes the ever so personable and highly intelligent potbellied pigs.

A disturbing thing has happened: Baby pigs, supposedly the size of "teacups," are being promoted by the media.

"Teacup" pigs? There's no such thing, so help put an end to their recent publicity by voicing your opinion to the "Today Show" and New York Post.

See what you can do to help prevent misinformed people from purchasing the piglets, only to relinquish them, once they've grown larger than promised.

Click here to read the article and then please take action.

Photo by Jennifer Hayes

A friendly face

jhayes — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:57:23 GMT

Danielle is an intern at Best Friends, and has truly enjoyed her time at the sanctuary so far. She has plans to work as a dog trainer back home, and is in fact already well on that road.

However, her internship took a side trip to Piggy Paradise, where she has befriended the ultra-shy Jezebelle. Now, the friends hang out together regularly.

For the rest of the article, see the Best Friends Sanctuary Story.

Photo by Sarah Ause

Unfolding the mysteries of the universe

jhayes — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:48:13 GMT

To a pig who has lived his or her whole life outdoors one way or another, visiting the inside of a building is not often at the top of the to-do list.

For the rest of the article, please see the Best Friends Sanctuary Stories.

Photo by Gary Kalpakoff

'Pignorance' Separates Autistic Boy from His Potbellied Pig

jhayes — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:45:52 GMT

An 8-year-old autistic boy wants his potbellied pig back. Loopey, Anthony's 1-year-old Vietnamese pig, was recently ordered out of the family's Fayetteville, North Carolina home, with officials citing a violation of a city ordinance.

For the rest of the article, please see the article in the North Carolina Go Local.

Photo courtesy of the Pia family

Wish List

platiapa — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:50:21 GMT

For the Pigs:

Healthy and non-meat dental chews of sweet taters www.snookdog.com
14 inch Stainless Steel Puppy Pans www.ryanspet.com
Home Depot/Lowes gift cards for piggy projects such as misting systems, mulch, gravel, ramps, etc.
Costco gift cards (for mushrooms, berries, rice, popcorn, shredded wheat squares)
Unsalted almonds and peanuts
Spoon-sized shredded wheat squares, unfrosted
$25 purchases a box of romaine that feeds all the pigs one meal
Popping Corn (for hot air poppers)
Piggy Pools
Commercial Refridgerator

Sprocket and Yvonne

jhayes — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:52:31 GMT

Sprocket and Yvonne McIntosh, the manager of Piggy Paradise, enjoy the festivities at the Animal Care Fair, during Best Friends Week.

‘Look Ma! No treats!’

jhayes — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:26:55 GMT

Well, Pepe the pig may not be in an obedience class, but he’s just passed a much more important test with flying colors.

For the rest of the article, please see the Best Friends Sanctuary Stories.

Photo by Sarah Ause

Camping out

jhayes — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:20:45 GMT

Every con artist knows how to cash in on the right opportunity. And after biding his time patiently for many months, Metro the pig finally saw that golden window.

For the rest of the article, please see the Best Friends Sanctuary Stories.

Photo by Gary Kalpakoff

Resources

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:06:59 GMT

Documents

CREATING COLD FRAMES.doc

Pig Intellect Studies:

Links

Pig Placement Network - a list of sanctuaries and rescue organizations that help with pig placement and education

General Info and Care

Kids love pigs too!

All about pigs!

Potbelly links

Splish, splash, squish

jhayes — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:05:12 GMT

The potbellied pigs at Best Friends have at least one thing in common with small children. They know good and well the value of taking a flying cannonball into a deep, mucky mud puddle.

For the rest of the article, please see the Best Friends Sanctuary Stories.

Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends staff
Photo by Sarah Ause