Good Day World!
Pigs are popular pets, but we also eat them.
That seems strange to me. But it’s a strange world full of paradoxes, ironies, and inescapable realities.
Did you know that there’s such a thing as a therapy pig? Oh, yea…
Check this video out about therapy pigs Pumba and Borris. They visit nursing homes in Denver, Colorado in their spare time.
Speaking of therapy pigs, this video is about a woman who was kicked off a flight because other passengers complained about her 55 pound pot-bellied therapy pig’s smell and loud snorting!
MEET PUMPKIN
Seven-year-old Megan suffers from Cerebral Palsy.
Although her physical therapist wants her to practice opening and closing the clenched fingers of her right and left hands, he can’t motivate the little girl to do it.
All that changed when another “therapist”—a Potbellied Pig named Pumpkin - joined the staff.
Each time a Cheerio® is placed inside one of Megan’s clenched fists, Pumpkin gently roots away at the child’s hand with her nose until the child’s fingers relax and open. Megan squeals with delight when Pumpkin gently gobbles up a treat. Even the physical therapist smiles.
Like dogs and cats, Potbellied Pigs often are used as therapy animals in nursing home, rehabilitation center and even hospital settings.
SPEAKING OF POT-BELLIED PIGS
The pot-bellied pig’s natural habitat was in Southeast Asia. In fact, they descend from six different breeds of wild pig indigenous to the region. Potbellied Pigs were imported to zoos in this country in the 1980s.
Because they’re highly prolific, the zoos soon had too many. Surplus pigs were sold at wild animal auctions to private individuals seeking exotic pets. It wasn’t long before porcine personality, tidy nature and intelligence won them a place in the homes of average pet owners as well.
A PIG STAR FOR THE AGES
You didn’t think I was going to talk about pigs without mentioning one of the most famous pigs in Americana culture - Porky Pig – did you?
Porky Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power.
"Th-th-th-that's all folks!"
Time for me to walk on down the road…
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