Meet our little Perky!

We became aware through another rescue that we have worked with before, Pigs In The Wood , that there was a little girl piglet that needed a home after being found by the road in Essex. After Hayley went to collect her, it became clear that actually not only was Perky a boy, but that he was bought as a micro pig & someone decided they didn’t want him any more.

Poor Perky had a swollen tummy, lots of scabs and dry skin when he first arrived. Hayley made sure to give him the right milk he needed, and tended to his dry skin and scabs so they would heal and he is already doing so much better!

He is most likely a Kunekune or Juliana pig. Pigs that are being sold as ‘micro-pigs’ are inherently misleading. There is no such breed as a ‘micro-pig’, these pigs are bred specifically from smaller breeds to make them as small as can be. But, there really is no telling to how big they can get. Many pigs sold as pets are young, even newborn, and have yet to reach their full size and weight, which can be substantial. People often expect owning a pet pig to be similar to that of owning a dog. While in a lot of ways pigs are similar to dogs, they have other needs that are difficult to meet in a home setting. In the end, like so many fad pets before them, it is the pigs who pay the price for their popularity. It is a very sad cycle, but luckily there are rescues like ours and PITW that give these pigs another chance at a forever home.

Perky loves a cuddle and loves his brother Pinky very much - they are a hilarious little pair! He still needs to be castrated, but will either live at the sanctuary or stay at Hayley’s home in West Sussex.