KERHONKSON, N.Y. — Been giving some thought to adopting an American potbelly pig as a household pet?
Now might be an ideal time to build a sturdy fence and make it happen.
A New York animal sanctuary is looking to place piglets and adults that are in immediate need of adoption.
These porcines were found in a petting zoo, where a “hoarding case” arose, according to Eleni Calomiris, founder and director of Wayward Ranch Animal Sanctuary in Kerhonkson, N.Y.
Pigs breed as young as six months. In the situation at hand, she said, the other animal sanctuary adopted two pregnant sows from North Carolina and then failed to neuter or spay either the sows or their offspring.
“They can have litters up to 20,” Calomiris said, “And so they can grow exponentially in numbers.”
Calomiris herself is fostering one of the original first two sows, named Ash, who is now pregnant with her third litter since arriving in New York about 18 months ago.
After receiving a tip on Saturday, a board member for Wayward Ranch went to investigate.
“She was expecting to find about 20 pigs,” Calomiris said. “Instead she found about 60 pigs with newborns who were freezing, not enough shelter for any animals, [as well as] an alpaca and a mini horse who were on death’s door.”
Calomiris said her rescue took the alpaca and mini horse on March 9.
“It’s been very touch and go, but it seems like we’re going to be able to recover, hopefully, both of them,” she said.
More than 100 animals were found on three separate properties, all owned by the other sanctuary.
“And so we got to work trying to find placement for all of those animals,” Calomiris said. Placement has been found for the horses, cows, sheep and goat.
“We are still just trying to find placement for these 60 pigs,” Calomiris said.
The pigs range in age from two to six months as well as adults.
“They appear to be what we refer to as American potbelly pigs,” she said.
“And some of the six-month-olds are already pregnant,” Calomiris said. “And so we are actively trying to spay and neuter as quickly as we can so no one else gets pregnant.”
How often has Calomiris been involved in pig rescues? More often than one would think.
“We have a really severe pig overpopulation,” Calomiris said, adding this is her third pig rescue in four years.
What to know about keeping a pig as a pet
So, you're thinking about a pet.
“Pigs are really cute and they’re really fun, but they’re very complicated animals to own,” Calomiris said.
She said they housebreak within 24 hours if a litter box is set up for them.
“They’re very intelligent, and that plays both in favor of having a potbelly pig as a pet but also means that you have some challenges with it. We highly recommend having more than one because they’re very, very social animals, and you’ll tend to have less poor behaviors and acting out if they have a friend, but you also have to entertain them. They have the intelligence of like a 4-year-old toddler, permanently.”
She said one of her board members has five pigs and refers to them as her “drunk frat boys.”
Without the proper stimulation during the day, the pigs will knock over furniture, pull up rugs and make other mischief.
However, Calomiris said that with the proper stimulation and entertainment, “they are honestly easier, in my opinion, than having a dog.”
Having a very strong fence is crucial because of their very strong snouts, with which a pig can pull up fencing and escape.
“As we do home visits, the biggest thing we check for is really secure fencing,” she said.
Fed a proper diet, Calomiris said the pigs in this group will probably grow to weigh 150 to 200 pounds.
“However, pigs carry their weight very differently,” she said. “So they might grow to half the height of a golden retriever but double the weight because they’re so mass dense in their stomach and their abdomen.”
These pigs are not bred for food. And in America, they have been domesticated as pets.
“I’ve seen pigs being capable of missing people, missing home, missing friends,” Calomiris said. “They’re capable of a very high level of emotional intelligence.”
People who adopt from Wayward Ranch sign a document stating they are adopting pigs as pets. The animals are also microchipped and if found at a slaughterhouse, Wayward Ranch would be called “and whoever sent them for slaughter would be in big, big trouble.”
Eastern Snouts Adoption and Rehoming in New York, Ross Mill Farm in Jamison, Pa., and its partner, the Pig Placement Network in Rushland, Pa., as well as Wayward Ranch are all working together to place and transport these pigs. All are accepting applications on their websites.
“As we review the applications, we’re selecting the best fit for each situation,” Calomiris said.
While Wayward Ranch has a suggested adoption donation of $150 per animal, that is truly optional, Calomiris said.
Caring for a pig
Pigs can live to 25 years.
“They can be expensive animals,” she said. “The sky’s the limit.”
In addition to yearly vet care, pigs need two hoof trims a year.
She said she spends $20 to $25 a week on fresh produce to supplement their diet of grain.
Calomiris said pigs have a variety of vocalizations, including ones reserved for direct family members, and that's one of her favorite parts of interacting with them.
“It’s really cool.” she said. “When they see me, they make that family noise at me, and it just makes me feel very loved and accepted.”
What else?
“They also love belly rubs,” she said. “Any pig, even if they’re scared of you, even if they’re mad at you for something, they’ll still roll over begrudgingly for a belly rub.”
