Oink, oink! *Snort, snort*
We might not be able to understand what they’re saying, but I guess they’re probably giving us a big “Hi!” Just because we don’t speak the same language doesn’t mean they’re not trying to tell us anything.
Dogs in, uh, pigs’ bodies
Not a lot of people know that pigs are one of the most amazing animals. They are playful, intelligent, social beings who also yearn for love, fun, and attention. Hmm… kinda sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Oh, right, dogs! They’re like dogs in more ways than one.
All over the world, dogs are considered as companions, often treated as part of the family. Come to think of it, a pig is just like a dog in another body. But if pigs are really that similar to dogs, shouldn’t we also be treating them like dogs?
From Farm to Home
1. Igat: Super Babe Piggy
Igat lives in Davao City as part of the Andrade family. However, she almost became birthday food for the family’s youngest son.
In a Rated K episode that aired on ABS-CBN in April 2018, Evelyn Andrade shared Igat’s story. Because of an accident, Igat burned her skin and lost three of her ribs. Evelyn then decided to take Igat home and nursed her back to health.
Having Igat as a part of the family since she was young influenced their community: People understood how special she was! Living with the family as she grew older, she was treated as a person. She ate the same food, bathed regularly, and used the toilet whenever she needed to.
2. Esther, the mini pig
In 2017, Buzzfeed News interviewed Steve and Derek, a couple who adopted Esther from an old friend on Facebook. The couple believed they would be adopting a miniature pig who would weigh around 70 pounds as an adult.
The couple found out that they had a problem on their hands when they first took Esther to the veterinary clinic: She had a cropped tail, which meant that she came from a commercial farm, and that she would grow three to five times larger than expected!
They learned how special Esther was. She was very curious and smart, showing an intellect higher than that of their own dogs. She would open cupboards, doors, the fridge, and even the freezer.
Adopting Esther changed their lives for the better! When the couple tried to dig up Esther’s history, they realized that if they hadn’t taken Esther home with them, she would have suffered a horrible life in a commercial farm. Making the connection, they realized how animals’ lives deserved the same respect as humans’. This inspired them to put up an animal sanctuary and took in around 50 animals, whom Esther considered her friends.
Because of Esther, the couple did something that made a huge impact, especially on the lives of the animals they rescued.
9 Things you might not know about pigs
- They are super friendly! They build close relationships with people and other animals.
- Pigs are incredibly smart — probably even smarter than dogs!
- Pigs dream, too.
- Pigs are actually picky eaters and prefer to eat different types of food for each meal!
- Pigs actually like to keep themselves clean and cool!
- Pigs run really fast!
- Pigs care! They have saved people and other animals from different kinds of danger.
- Pigs can communicate through sounds and actions. They even have their own vocabulary!
- Pigs take very good care of their children and form strong bonds with them.
This appeared in Animal Scene magazine’s February 2019 issue.
