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One of the recently rescued potbellied
pigs from Cobb County plays in the pool
at Denise Joyner’s farm in Ola.
Ola
resident enjoys being part of a network that
places discarded potbellied pigs
Lucille
was a beautiful baby but, when he grew up, he became a bit of a boar.
The 225-pound "miniature" Vietnamese potbellied pig is one of
the dozens of unwanted porkers rescued by Ola resident Denise
Joyner. "People get them when they're so little," Joyner
said. "They love them and cuddle them and, a couple of years later,
they're 200 pounds and people don't want them anymore."
Because Lucille has undescended testicles, his original owners thought
he was a female. Joyner added him to her personal pig collection, which
now numbers five. "People aren't going to take obese pigs
like Lucille," she said, noting that species adults should ideally
weigh between 50 pounds and 75 pounds.
Right now she also has temporary custody of five other pigs that she
rescued from animal shelters in Cobb and DeKalb counties. "A
lady is coming today to look at two of the Cobb girls," Joyner
said, referring to the sows. "And a lady from Florida who runs a
"pig train" is coming next week to drive the DeKalb boys to a
refuge in Arkansas."
Joyner is part of an international network of potbellied pig lovers who
work via the Internet to educate people on the intelligent animals and
place those pigs that are discarded by their owners. Jackson
resident Victoria Bragg, who helped start the Pigs As Pets network, said
the pigs were overbred at the height of their popularity and now they're
a glut on the market. "Basically, it's a fad gone bad,"
she said. "People have been dumping them. Unneutered males smell to
high heaven and are aggressive. Once they're fixed, they're wonderful.
When they're not, they're worse than any dog or cat."
The nonprofit Pigs As Pets Association is based in Fort Myers, Fla., but
the chain extends across the country and into Australia and England
through links like Joyner and Bragg.
At www.pigsaspets.org, the group posts information about potbellied
pigs' needs and behavior; about nearby veterinarians and even about
fighting zoning restrictions.
A bulletin board called Belly Rub helps match unwanted pigs with
potential owners or refuges.
"Anyone who is interested shouldn't buy from a breeder. Adopt
one," Joyner said. "There are so many who need to be
adopted." The pigs live about 12 or 15 years, so adopting one
is a big decision, Bragg said. Properly cared for, however, they make
excellent pets. "They don't bark and they don't get
fleas," Bragg said. "They get along great with other animals
and, if they've been raised with kids, they get along great with them,
too. They need a yard, but pigs are perfect for people who have
allergies."
Check the Web site to adopt or place a pig or donate to the association,
or call Bragg at (770) 735-1876 or Joyner at (770) 954-1293. |
