Piggy Magic: The All-Natural Mood Enhancer

I have been grumpy all day today - in fact for the past couple of days. Possibly my bad mood is due to chronic back pain after standing on concrete all day Saturday (thank goodness I’m getting in to my chiropractor tomorrow morning!), but more likely it is also due to the never-ending saga of animal rescue......too many dogs, cats, rabbits, piggies, and other critters needing homes; too many “in-it-to-make-a-quick-buck” irresponsible breeders; too many “whoops I’m moving and can’t [read: don’t want to] take the pig/dog/cat with me”, and on it goes.

And so I sat down and wrote a long tirade about the irresponsible people who churn out animals and sell them without screening, without follow up, without being willing to take them back if the buyers change their mind. A tirade about a local potbellied pig breeder who advertises on craigslist every few weeks, who separates piglets from the mom as young as four weeks old, who doesn’t take back a piglet when just a couple of weeks later the young girl she sold it to realizes it’s not what she wanted. A tirade about the person who didn’t want a pair of piglets from us (we only adopt out bonded pairs as they are herd animals) and so bought the piglet the young girl was selling, and a month later decides she doesn’t want it either. A tirade about the person who bought two 4-week old piglets at the auction and just a couple of months later is moving and “can’t” [won’t] take them with her and wants the sanctuary to take them.

Of course all these unwanted pigs are unneutered, and none of the people are prepared to build a shed and pen to house them or to provide a lifetime sponsorship to cover their food and vet bills. Meanwhile, I have ten piglets here from an SPCA seizure for mistreatment, ten sweet, healthy, neutered piglets for whom we are unable to find suitable, committed, caring homes...and still the breeders churn out more.

And so, to put it politely, I was grumpy. Just as I finished typing out my tirade, I glanced out the window, noticed it was getting dark, and remember I had not yet closed up the barn for the night. Out I rushed, expecting all the piggies to be snuggled down in the straw sleeping, and thinking I could just slip into the pig yard and close the barn door from the outside.

Except Rickey, one of the piglets, was out in the yard all by himself. As soon as he saw me he came racing over to the gate. And as soon as I bent down to pet him he started oinking and erfing and oofing and squealing....and calling all his brothers and his sister to join him. “Hey guys, Foster Mama’s back, get up, get up!!!!!”
And so nine more little piglets came streaking out of the barn for a little late night fun – tearing around the yard one after the other squealing and squeaking the whole time, running up to me to see if I had treats, racing to the gate to say hi to the dogs. Ten little upturned snouties; twenty beautiful, soulful, inquisitive eyes looking at me hopefully; forty little trotters trying to climb up my pants leg to check my pockets for treats.

How can one not laugh out loud at those faces, those eyes, those funny little characters who want only to have the attention of someone who adores them, the companionship of their herd, and a plentiful supply of treats? And so my anger and frustration dissipated instantly, and the evening became magical once more.

G’night little piggies. Thanks for making my day.