LET ME HAVE THE FOOD WILL YA?

LET ME HAVE THE FOOD WILL YA?
Originally uploaded by rikkis_refuge

I'm not a dog and I'm not going to stand up on my hind feet to get it, I might walk right over you but I don't stand up and beg. We have so many pigs because of silly choices people make in pets. When people call me wanting to adopt a pig and explaining to me that pot belly pigs only grow to about 40 pounds and make wonderful house pets - I invite them out to work in Piggy Paradise. Mud wallows and every square inch of earth rooted up is Paradise to a pig. But it's not to most people who want green grass and flowers and the like.

When I say, "If you don't want to live in a pig pen, don't invite a pig into your house." They laugh hysterically and say, "Oh you're so funny." No, it's not funny. It's realistic. Pigs root. Pigs must root. This is their natural pass time. It is cruel and inhumane to put rings in their noses to make them stop it. And you know why that makes them stop? It hurts. It hurts like heck. That ring begins to dig into soft tissues when they try to root. If you want to put rings in somebody's nose - stick to your own nose. If pigs don't have dirt to root up, carpet or sofa cushions or drywall works just as well.

every pig you meet at Rikki's was a pet somebody thought would be a lot of fun - and in 6 months or two years - here they are packed off to the pound or a sanctuary -- to be cared for, for the next 10 or 12 years.

Photo by Kerri Williams, Magpi Studios 540-760-2388 www.MagpiStudios.com