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PIGS,A Sanctuary
JIM BREWER, JR. DALE RIFFLE
The author describes how PIGS, a sanctuary, became the country's
only facility designed to provide direct care for abused, abandoned, and/or
homeless miniature and Vietnamese potbellied pigs. They describe how, promoted
as a house pet, people began experiencing difficulties with their pigs due to
size and behavorial problems. PIGS, a sanctuary, addressed these problems and
established the sanctuary to specifically provide for the needs of
pigs.
- KEY WORD INDEX:
- animal welfare, pigs, shelter, pets, exotics
About the Author
THE INTRODUCTION OF
THE POTBELLIED PIG AS A PET
Before 1985, just about the only place anyone could see a Vietnamese potbellied
pig was in a zoo or an exotic petting farm. However, all that changed in 1985
when Keith Connell, a zoo keeper from Canada, imported 18 Vietnamese potbellied
pigs (4 boars, 14 sows) into the United States. This herd -- duped the Con-line
-- was imported directly from Vietnam and was distinguished by their black
color, swayed back, straight tail, and pronounced pot belly. From this limited
gene pool, there are an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 plus potbellied pigs in
the United States today and the number is increasing.
Within months, piglets from Connell's herd began showing up at exotic animal
auctions and were being touted as the latest exotic house pet. Breeders and
promoters of the Vietnamese potbellied pig blitzed the media with stories about
this new house "pet" and the potbellied pig boom was on. Breeders were paying
upward of $30,000 for a breeding pair and they were producing litters as often
as they could to keep up with the demand for piglets. In the beginning stages
of this boom, piglets could not be produced quickly enough and potential owners
were placed on a waiting list of up to 1 1/2 years. Also, in order to "fill the
orders," some breeders began cross-breeding with domestic pigs because these
pigs produced larger litters, and people who thought they were purchasing a
Vietnamese potbellied pig were, in fact, receiving a potbelly mix.
The people breeding or brokering pet pigs were making thousands of dollars. The
initial frenzy of the "pet" pig market enabled people to buy new cars and homes
from the direct profit made from a litter of piglets. We recently spoke with an
ex-breeder who had purchased her first sow for $4,000.00, bred her, and made
$24,000 from her first litter. At this time, it was not unheard of for breeders
to receive $10,000 to $15,000 for a single pig. The highest price ever paid for
a single pig is a reported $37,000. Today, pet pig owners are advertising
their pet pig "free to good home" and are having a difficult time finding a
home for the animal.
THE NEED FOR A PIG SANCTUARY
Rufus
In October 1990, Dale Riffle and I removed Rufus, a young Vietnamese potbellied
piglet, from the home of seven college students. One of the students had
purchased Rufus, an unneutered male piglet, from a breeder in Virginia. These
students were living in a townhouse in Greenbelt, Maryland and had no idea how
to raise a pig. The woman who had purchased Rufus was given very little
information by the breeder when she got him. One week later, we received a
phone call asking us if we could take Rufus. This piglet, we were told, was
simply too noisy, too burdensome, and too much work and responsibility. We
found Rufus was kept locked in a small bathroom in the basement because no one
knew what to do with him. The novelty of owning a pig had worn off and the only
time Rufus was brought out of the bathroom was when someone stopped by to see
him. We knew we could provide Rufus a better home than a bathroom, so we took
him in and he is still living with us today. He is the reason for PIGS, a
sanctuary.
Homeless Pigs
We began wondering what happened to other pet pigs in Rufus' situation. Dale
investigated and found many humane societies/SPCAs would not accept pigs due to
anti-swine zoning laws or facilities inadequate to house pigs. He also found
unwanted pet pigs were being dumped on city streets, in parks, and other rural
areas. And some pet pigs were beginning to show up at slaughterhouses. With no
organization equipped to deal with this new homeless animal problem and with
the pigs facing a very dismal future, we established PIGS, a sanctuary, to
provide a safe environment for homeless pigs, and to educate others about the
care for and needs of miniature pigs.
Early Results
Interest in the work of the sanctuary has been phenomenal. Hundreds of people
have been given educational tours since the sanctuary was established in
October, 1992. Over two hundred people attended our first open house in
October, 1993. We have given tours to people from across the United States as
well as guests from Japan, Australia, Germany, England, and Belgium. National
press in Time Magazine, People, US News & World
Report, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and
other large and small daily newspapers has enabled us to reach an audience of
millions. Internationally, the sanctuary has received coverage on national
television in Japan, and has appeared in articles and newspapers in Germany and
Australia. An article about the sanctuary is due to appear in a national Swiss
publication in the near future. This intense attention to the sanctuary has
aided us in our efforts to educate people about the realities of keeping
a pig as a pet and has provided us with the opportunity to educate
people about the exotic pet market.
The sanctuary's mission of providing a safe and secure environment for homeless
pigs is being accomplished as we currently house 85 pigs.
We have set up a National Placement Network which enables us to call people for
assistance to place a homeless pig in their state. In little more than one
year, we have been able to aid over two hundred pigs and place them in new
homes. We have established a network of Safe Houses in 20 states. These houses
provide a pig with temporary shelter until a new home can be located or until
the sanctuary can take the pig in. These Safe Houses are a vital link to the
sanctuary when a pig's life is in imminent danger.
POT BELLIED PIGS AS HOUSE PETS
We have seen consistent behavioral problems in pigs which have been raised in
the house and have had little or no chance of interacting with other pigs.
Some of these are:
* depression and withdrawal;
* timidity;
* anger;
* fear; and
* aggression.
We have also seen house pigs which have been raised alone who have no idea they
are a pig or even how to act like a pig. These pigs lack the necessary social
skills (language) required for survival within a structured herd. We introduce
these pigs to other pigs slowly -- we give them all the time they need to learn
they are indeed pigs. Some pigs adjust immediately to being with other pigs.
But for some pigs, the sight of another pig is frightening as they have been
around humans for their entire lives and have no idea what another pig is or
how to react to this "new" creature. For these pigs, the adjustment period
takes longer and is a slow, sometimes difficult process for the animal.
Due to all of the reasons listed above, we do not endorse or encourage people
to keep pigs as house pets.
Aggression and Territoriality
Pigs are territorial animals and have a pecking order, similar to chickens,
within their herd. In order to establish a pecking order, pigs fight each other
to determine their place within the herd. This behavior has been a common and
consistent problem in house pigs and nine out of ten of the calls we receive at
the sanctuary are about a house pig who has become aggressive. With careful
monitoring of the calls we receive and the aggressive pigs we've taken in, we
have learned this particular behavior usually develops when the pig is between
one and a half and two years of age -- the age when the pig is beginning to
mature.
A typical scenario is: the pet pig will begin charging at owners and guests,
snapping, and/or barking if anyone gets near or around his "territory" which is
usually his sleeping area. This new behavior from a once manageable pet is
very troublesome for most pet pig owners. But for the pig, this show of
dominance and this challenge to his herd mates, human or otherwise, for "top
pig" status is perfectly normal behavior.
To The Pig, We Are All Pigs
We have three pigs at the sanctuary who began exhibiting aggressive behavior
when a baby was brought into the house. One of these pigs, Amanda, was raised
as a house pet, and was even permitted to sleep with her owners. When a baby
became part of the family structure, Amanda did what any pig would do when a
new member is introduced into the herd -- she tried to determine where this new
member fit into her herd. Her way of doing this was to charge and snap at the
baby so the baby would know Amanda was top pig in an already established and
defined family structure. To Amanda, the baby was a pig and it was perfectly
within her right as top pig to define this new pig's place by bossing the baby
around. However, for Amanda's owners, her behavior was not acceptable because
they were worried she would hurt the baby. The breaking point for Amanda's
family came when they found Amanda with her mouth around the baby's foot. Most
pet pig owners do not understand that Amanda's behavior was perfectly natural
and reflected her pig instincts. In Amanda's mind, she was not doing anything
wrong, but acting the way nature intended her to act. However, for Amanda's
owners, her aggressiveness was potentially dangerous to anyone who entered
their house and therefore could not be tolerated. Amanda had to be removed
before she seriously harmed someone.
We have had 100% success with curbing pig aggression by giving the aggressive
animal an outside area and, eventually, herd mates. Many of the behavioral
problems we have seen exhibited in house pigs disappear within 24 to 48 hours
after the pig is allowed access to an area where he can root, graze, and simply
enjoy being a pig.
HEALTH CARE
Since most pigs are raised in factory farms and killed for food consumption at
about six months of age, veterinarians have little or no knowledge about the
long term care of pigs. Exotic veterinarians can be cost prohibitive to the
average person and in many instances, the small animal veterinarian does not
know how to treat this new pet. These factors have contributed to many pet pigs
not receiving adequate and complete health care.
Of particular importance to the sanctuary is the spaying and neutering of pigs,
especially since they have now become "pets" and have been overbred. Due to the
early sexual maturity of potbellied pigs (a gilt will begin her heat cycle as
early as three months old and will cycle again every 21 days and boars will
become sexually active as young as eight weeks old), we strongly encourage the
spaying and neutering of pigs. But finding a veterinarian skilled in the
altering of pigs, especially the spaying of females, has been a formidable
challenge for many pet pig owners. Farm veterinarians don't usually spay female
pigs, and small animal veterinarians practices have dealt mainly with the
reproductive problems of cats and dogs.
We are in the process of producing a health care video about potbellied pigs
which will be provided free of charge to veterinarians.
CONCLUSION
The homeless pig population is growing. We have found many humane organizations
do not know how to adequately deal with this problem other than by
oversimplifying it by stating that pigs are farm animals and not pets. However,
the reality is much more complex: pet pigs are here, and when we provide people
with the correct educational tools we ensure the pet pig enjoys a quality life
which allows him the freedom to act like and be a pig. We can, through
education of pig owners and humane employees, alleviate some of these animals
from becoming another unwanted shelter problem.
TEN THINGS THAT MAKE A PIG HAPPY
1. Grazing on fresh grass, especially clover.
2. Rooting, especially after a rain storm.
3. Special treats such as apples, cantaloupes, watermelon, and fresh
vegetables.
4. Sunbathing
5. Belly rubs and having their butts scratched -- it is their true weakness.
6. Scratching on trees, large rocks, fence posts, and each other.
7. Socializing with other pigs.
8. Wrapping up in blankets or burying themselves in straw during the cold
months.
9. Wallowing in mud puddles or wading pools during the hot months.
10. Exploring the woods.
Dale Riffle
Director
PIGS, a sanctuary
Charles Town, West Virginia
Dale was born in southeastern Ohio. During the summers he worked on
a local pig farm. In 1979, after graduating high school, Dale moved to
Pennsylvania where he lived for 5 years. After moving to the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area in 1984, Dale eventually settled in Churchton, Maryland, a
small town located on the Chesapeake Bay. It was while living here that he
learned about a potbellied pig named Rufus who needed a home. After taking
Rufus into his house, Dale began learning about the growing problem of homeless
Vietnamese potbellied pigs and the exploitation of other animals by the exotic
pet market. PIGS, a sanctuary, is the culmination of Dale's desire to create a
safe place for pigs promoted as house pets.
Last year Dale was invited to speak at the University of Georgia,
School of Veterinary Medicine, where he spoke about pig behavior and the
psychological problems arising in pigs that have been raised as house pets.
During the two years of PIGS, a sanctuary's existence, Dale has been called
upon to provide testimony to many towns and cities across the United States and
Canada about why zoning laws should not be changed to keep potbellied pigs
and/or other exotic animals as house pets. Under Dale's guidance, PIGS, a
sanctuary, has become the premier organization in the United States dealing
with homeless miniature and potbellied pigs.Jim Brewer
Co-founder, PIGS, a sanctuary
Charles Town, West Virginia
Jim has attended Ohio University, Athens, Ohio and Wilkes College,
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Jim was raised on a small farm in Middleport, Ohio
where he grew up with horses, dogs, cats and a few pigs raised by his parents
for food.
Jim views the sanctuary as an educational center for teaching
people about the destructive nature of importing animals into the United States
and forcing them to live in unnatural environments. Jim's work at the sanctuary
includes writing press releases and informational materials, organizing
volunteers, and working on the sanctuary's newsletter. Dale and Jim are active
in the animal rights movement and are vegetarians.
For more information please contact PIGS, a sanctuary, at P.O. Box
629, Charles Town, WV 25414 or call 304-725-PIGS.
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