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Rescue Pigs - The Perfect Imperfect Pet

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By DENISE FLAIM Newsday

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 25, 2008

Lots of things peaked in the 1980s, from leg warmers to big hair. Vietnamese potbellied pigs also were "hot" 20 years ago, and, like Michael Jackson, they have faded but persist.

Indeed, there is a steady surplus of these pulchritudinous porcines, says Janice Skura of the Long Island Pot Bellied Pig Association, who runs the only rescue program for them in the metropolitan New York area.

"You would not believe the amount of pigs that are abandoned, abused, neglected and tossed out on a daily basis," says Skura. Many have behavioral problems incited by owners who underestimate these intelligent, sensitive animals.

"Pigs have the intelligence of a toddler, and they get frustrated if they aren't mentally stimulated - they will find things to do on their own," Skura says.

Because pigs are not very agile, romps in the park are out (though they will walk nicely on a harness). Instead, "they are more trick-oriented - that's what keeps them busy," from pushing balls to miniature bowling.

"They want to be top pig, and you have to let them know you are the boss," Skura advises. "If you let them get away with something once, they'll do it again because they're so smart."
Skura ticks off the many good qualities of potbellied: "They have hair, not fur, so they are hypo allergic," she says. They don't shed, except when they lose their coat for a week every summer. "They don't bark or chew, and they don't get fleas." They're odor-free and easily potty-trained, happily using a dog door to do their business outdoors.

Potbellied pigs "do need a fenced yard, they don't do stairs very well, and they don't make good apartment pets," she says.

"There is no such thing as a 'teacup' or 'pocket pig,' " Skura says, noting some unethical marketers may try to make that claim. Most pigs range from 50 to 150 pounds.

Forget slop and table scraps: Skura says just a half-cup of specially formulated pig pellet food twice a day is ample sustenance. "An apple is a real treat," she says. The rest of the time, expect your pigs to graze on your grass, and perhaps your flowerbeds.

"Pigs don't have to live in the house," Skura says. "They can live outside if you make them a small wooden house, filled with straw, the lower to the ground the better, to keep heat in."

But Skura warns that potential owners should check zoning restrictions to make sure they can legally own them.

Find adoptable pigs all over the country by visiting pigplacementnetwork.com.

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