Use after oinker grows…and grows…and grows into 47st porker O PIG GOES WHOLE HOG
A TINY piglet’s owners had to move house after she grew into a 47-stone porker.
Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter adopted Esther the “micropig” from a friend in 2012 but soon noticed that she was growing at an alarming rate.
The pair have now moved to a farm so their prized porker can roam freely.
The owners realised their problem when at a visit to the vets they were told the then six-month-old Esther was in fact a commercial pig.
Steve said: “An old school friend, who knew I was an animal lover, messaged me on Facebook saying she had bought a micropig from a breeder.
“She had just given birth to twins and wondered if I would be interested in taking on Esther, who wouldn’t be any bigger than five stone.”
Despite growing to nearly ten times this size, the couple decided to adapt their city home so she could stay because the alternative would be the slaughterhouse.
Steve said: “We weren’t prepared to give her up, she would have gone for meat.
“We looked at what life was like for industrial pigs and we were devastated.
“She became part of the family and we just couldn’t face letting her go.”
The couple trained Esther to use a litter box but eventually it had to be replaced with a 6ft paddling pool covered with shavings.
They also gave up their day BECCA HUSSELBEE jobs for a life in the sticks. Steve said: “We had very selfish lifestyles.
“We were very protective of our two dogs; we would have gone to jail for them but never considered giving up meat until we had Esther.
“Now we are devoted vegans and wondered why we never did it sooner.”
The couple have turned the farm into an animal sanctuary, aptly named “Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary” and she is now a social media celebrity. Derek devotes his time to running the animal sanctuary while Steve manages all of Esther’s social media accounts including her Instagram. She has more than 380,000 followers on the site and even her own book. Steve said: “I only started posting on social media so my friends could keep updated but it just went viral.”
Esther, who has been described as a “diva” by her owners, still likes to live indoors after growing used to her luxury lifestyle.
Steve said: “She has a kingsized bed in our room and a queen-sized bed in the living room in which we get to have cuddles.
“She even hates going out in the rain.
“She’s become part of the pack with our dogs and sometimes she thinks she is one – she goes for a walk with them every day.”