Nova Scotia animal sanctuaries are overflowing with pigs
Canadians are having trouble with the new pet trend.
Two animal sanctuaries in Nova Scotia are trumpeting a problem: people are surrendering domestic pot-bellied pigs in droves. They're brought in as pets, companions, but they don't expect to face real hardship.
Emilie Pece, founder of one of these animal sanctuaries, comments that the fashion for minipigs, or pygmy pigs, is to blame. Some pigs can indeed remain quite miniature as adults. However, it is difficult for the layperson to determine a realistic size from a piglet.
"It’s a lot of people hoping to get a small, cute piglet, and they don’t realize that a ‘mini pig’ is any pig under 300 pounds," Pece says.
300 pounds is about 136 kilograms. In other words, Canadians buy piglets expecting a pet to be about 100 kilograms smaller — and much cheaper.
Another problem besides size is that pot-bellied pigs are expensive to keep. They do eat a lot, and they can also be quite destructive. As a result, up to 90% of pot-bellied pigs are surrendered to animal sanctuaries within the first year of life.
"When you don’t spay or neuter them, they’re much harder to house train," comments Jen Lussing from another animal sanctuary. "Also, pigs have a natural hierarchy, and they’re going to start kind of dominating the owners."
That being said, pigs can be excellent pets for those who are aware of the potential challenges. Ideally, even a small pig needs at least some open space where it can run around and take mud baths. It is also better to have a pair of pigs rather than just one, because they get very bored when they are alone.
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