Esther’s owners near $651,000 scanner goal
Esther the Wonder Pig is using her celebrity status to help out other sizable animals across the nation.
When the famous pig fell ill last year, her owners Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter, who formerly lived in Georgetown and now own the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary in Milton, took her to the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in Guelph to find that she required a CT scan.
But there was one big problem. Esther, who weighs more than 600 pounds, couldn’t fit into the machine.
There was no machine large enough in Canada. The only option Jenkins and Walter were presented with was to take Esther to the United States.
Jenkins says due to the legal regulations associated with transporting a pig across the border, it was not feasible.
Jenkins said he and Walter were surprised by the lack of equipment necessary to help larger animals in the country.
“We just assumed that they had that sort of equipment and that any university would have that sort of equipment, and so it was a huge shock to find out they didn’t.”
Because Esther was unable to receive the CT scan, a definitive diagnosis was unable to be delivered. Though she likely has musculoskeletal issues and is doing much better, Jenkins says it is impossible to determine the proper methods to help her heal.
So, Jenkins and Walter made a bold promise to the OVC: they would find a way to bring the necessary CT scanner to Canada.
And thus ensued Esther’s online campaign to raise money for a scanner that would be able to help other animals her size and larger.
Jenkins and Walter’s goal was to raise $651,000 by July 1. And with tens of thousands of online followers, they were confident that Esther could make it happen. As of June 18, Jenkins said their unaudited total was about $603,000.
“We’re super, super excited,” Jenkins said. “We are under $50,000 Canadian away; it’s ridiculous.”
The machine, called the Pegaso CT Scanner, is designed for equine imaging.
Jenkins says aside from the opportunity to provide equipment that has never been available in Canada before, he has advocated for making the machine affordable for certain organizations that may require usage for their ailing animals.