My husband introduced me to Esther the Wonder Pig about a year ago. I was instantly hooked and captivated by her story….here is the rundown from Esther the Wonder Pig’s website:

Esther is some pig. She was misrepresented as a “micro pig” and sold to Steve and Derek in the summer of 2012. She was just 4 pounds, and in under 2 years she grew to be 500 pounds! Derek and Steve kept Esther anyway. She was accustomed to home life, and so the whole family went on an adventure of a lifetime.

We have followed Ester’s story as well as Steve and Derek’s (and the rest of the family) on Facebook. We learned about their ambitions and future plans to open a sanctuary (which we can’t wait to go visit).

Steve and Derek’s story is one of commitment, dedication, perseverance and love. Why would anyone in their right mind end up keeping a pig that weighed over 500lbs after thinking they were receiving a micro pig? Well – people who are special, people who have a conscience and people who are defenders of animals.

Esther is not just a pig – she really is the Wonder Pig!

Here are some facts about pigs:

Pigs snuggle close to one another and prefer to sleep nose to nose.
They dream, as humans do.
In their natural surroundings, pigs spend hours playing, sunbathing and exploring.
People who run sanctuaries report that pigs enjoy listening to music, playing with soccer balls, and getting massages.
Pigs communicate constantly with one another, more than 20 vocalizations have been identified that pigs use in different situations, from wooing mates to saying “I’m hungry!”
Newborn piglets learn to run to their mothers’ voices and to recognize their own names.
Mother pigs sing to their young while nursing.
According to Professor Donald Broom of the Cambridge University Veterinary School, “[Pigs] have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated. Even more so than dogs and certainly [more so than human] 3-year olds.
Pigs appear to have a good sense of direction and have found their way home over great distances.
Adult pigs can run at speeds of up to 11 miles an hour.
Pigs do not “eat like pigs” or “pig out”. They prefer to eat slowly and savour their food.
Pigs are clean animals. If given sufficient space, they will be careful not to soil the area where they sleep or eat.
Pigs don’t “sweat like pigs”, they are actually unable to sweat.
They like to bathe in water or mud to keep cool.

***Thanks to PETA contributor – Heather Moore, for the above points. This information and more about pigs and any other animal is available on: http://www.peta.org/blog/top-ten-fascinating-facts-pigs/

My husband and I are advocates for animals – we consider ourselves vegetarian, almost vegan. We do our best to be conscious of what we buy, wear and who we support. We are thrilled about Esther’s future and hope that all the great things Steve and Derek have completed and have yet to complete come to fruition. Here are some great photos of Esther and her family: