There is an increasing desire in the US and beyond to keep potbelly pigs as pets. Just a quick internet search will lead to adorable images of impossibly small, sweet piglets and videos of tiny pigs zooming around and playing like puppies. The same search will also bring up dozens of breeders advertising “mini pigs” or “teacup pigs,” and not at a low price!
Potbelly piglets born at Barn Sanctuary
However, these ads are intentionally misleading. While some breeds of pigs can remain smaller in size, it is largely unpredictable. A healthy adult potbelly pig can grow to be anywhere from 60-300 pounds. Breeders suggesting that your pig will remain “tiny” are false. Oftentimes, these pigs are inbred, malnourished and starved in order to keep them small before they are purchased.
Pigs are not fully grown until they are around 5 years old. So the tiny piglet that fits in your palm at a few weeks old will, to the surprise of many new owners, continue to grow much bigger than they expected.
As Alicia MacLean, Animal Caregiver at Barn Sanctuary notes, “In the US there is an increasing problem of potbellied pigs being abandoned at shelters. People get them, they think they’re cute, they’re going to be great pets — not realizing that they’re gonna grow to 200 pounds or more, and then be destructive in their homes and not make great pets.” This ultimately becomes a problem for shelters that are already overwhelmed with rescue dogs and cats, and other animals.
Rich Hoyle, founder of The Pig Preserve, is quoted in a National Geographic article stating that “probably 90% of the so-called ‘micro-pigs’…will either be dead or in a sanctuary before they are 2 years old.”
Image: petpigeducation.com
Pigs as Pets
Pigs are, no doubt, amazing animals. They’re intelligent, affectionate, and curious. Rescuing and caring for a previously abandoned potbelly pig can be quite rewarding — if you are ready to handle the huge responsibility of caring for a full-sized pig for his/her whole life.
If you are considering opening your heart and home to a pig, keep in mind that adopting a pig from a shelter or sanctuary is ideal. These organizations are inundated and need your help. Rescuing from these organizations also avoids contributing to and supporting the breeders that perpetuate the false information and use inhumane practices such as starvation.
The Best Friends Animal society has a great resource that explains what it takes to make a great home for a rescue pig. Another great resource is The Pig Placement Network’s list of questions: “Is a pig right for you?”
Mother and baby at Barn Sanctuary
Looking to the Future
The best way to help stop this issue, is to help stop perpetuating the “mini pig” myth. Educate yourself and others on pigs and their behavior, the practices of breeders, and the misleading advertisements is a great start. Not everyone will be able to rescue a pig and keep them as a companion, but everyone can help by not supporting the industry.