Listening to someone play the piano is not out of the norm, but then again that depends on who's playing it. How about a six month old potbellied pig? Yes, you read that right, a pig.
Smudge, who's a Naples resident along with her owner Sherry Collier, have not been letting all this talent go to waste either. Several times a month Smudge shows off her stuff to raise money for local charities and has just been named the official mascot of the Eagles Auxiliary 4028. In fact, The Discovery Channel's Animal Planet will be featuring Smudge on an upcoming show that will air in October, doing what else - playing the piano with her snout.
But Smudge is not the only pig in Collier's life. She gets up at 7:30 a.m. every morning to feed 12 other potbellies before going to work as a beautician. Collier is a "foster parent" for the Potbellied Pig Club of Southwest Florida and cares for these unwanted pet pigs until new homes can be found.
The club formed in October of last year to "be a bridge between owner's who cannot keep their pets and finding new homes for them." says Beth Davis, Vice President of the PPCSF. Thanks to the information superhighway, the club has adopted out 50 pigs since they've started, mainly through the internet. "There are a lot of pig people out there." says Davis. Just this past week seven pigs have found new homes but 60 more still need to be placed. Davis and other club members have driven as far as 1,000 miles to unite some of the potbellied pigs with their new owners. Soon the club will have their own web page which they hope will help boost the number of adoptions.
Besides doing rescues and adoptions, the club also focuses on education by going to schools and libraries. "Educating the children helps educate the parents." says Davis. But even with educational efforts the problem of unwanted pigs, according to Cindy Magnus, President of the PPCSF, stems from unscrupulous breeders who tell buyers that the pigs will stay small in size when full grown - 40 to 60 pounds. When they become much larger, the owners don't want them anymore and they end up in shelters. Even though some do stay small in size, the average potbelly weighs between 75 and 150 pounds. One way to gauge how big a pig will be when full grown is to look at the parents, but even this is not a sure thing. Magnus's own pig, Roto Rooter, weighs 450 pounds! He's the largest full-blooded, registered potbelly in the country and his parents weighed only 60 pounds.
Having a potbelly pig "is not like having a dog or a cat." says Davis. "They're definitely good pets for some people but not for everyone." That's why the club has an educational video on pigs that perspective owners can take home to watch. Learning about a new pet before adopting is important.
As for potbellied pigs, they don't shed or get fleas and contrary to popular belief don't smell. They are very clean animals and are "easier to house train than cats and dogs." says Magnus. What sets pigs apart from other domestic animals, like cats and dogs, is their ability to reason. Because of this Magnus warns not to feed them food directly from the refrigerator. Once they see where you keep all the good stuff, they'll start opening the door and helping themselves!
Outside access is a must so they can fulfill their natural instincts to graze and root. So if you like to have beautiful gardens around your house, a pig is not for you. Regulations pertaining to owning a potbelly are also an important consideration. According to Magnus, some towns in northern Florida do not allow them. In Naples pigs are allowed as inside pets and must be walked on a leash. In Collier County, they are also allowed and in some parts you can keep them in an outside pen.
If you would like to help or want more information contact:
941-540-1370 Cindy Magnus, President Potbellied Pig Club of Southwest Florida
941-543-8650 Beth Davis, Vice President Potbellied Pig Club of Southwest Florida
* *They currently are not accepting any new pigs for rescue.
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