Best Friends Animal Society recommends you rethink adopting a pig:
Zoning is an issue, and even if your building allows pet pigs, they can’t climb stairs.
Due to irresponsible breeding, many miniature pigs have medical issues including short life spans, organ failure and heart attacks.
Pigs are incredibly social animals and easily become bored or depressed.
You almost can’t blame Paris Hilton for buying one. After all, breeders depict now trendy “teacup pigs” as ideal pets that won’t get much bigger than the promotional shots of them snuggled in mugs.
But these little piggies don’t always stay little. “It’s a marketing scheme,” says Yvonne McIntosh, “Piggy Paradise” manager at Best Friends Animal Society, a Utah sanctuary. “I was floored when all of the sudden the word ‘teacup’ was in front of pigs. It gives people an image of a very small pig — they will not stay small. It takes them five years to reach mature size.”
McIntosh predicts more surrendered animals as celebrities pose with them — a likely problem, considering a Golden Globes’ gifting suite included certificates for pigs. “People look up to celebrities and go out and buy these pigs without educating themselves. Then the pig gets dumped.”
David and Victoria Beckham bought two teacup pigs, reported the Daily Mail, and Rupert Grint also owns two. But McIntosh credits former potbelly pig owner George Clooney for keeping his late pet out of the spotlight: “He did a great thing by not talking about it and realizing that pigs would suffer.”
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In the July MMMpod, Young Veins talk about breaking away from Panic! at the Disco, Keith Lockhart talks about Buckwheat Zydeco throwing the Boston Pops for a loop, Zooey Deschanel talks about how Roy Orbison inspired a She & Him song, Derek Miller of Sleigh Bells talks about how awesome Funkadelic is, and we talk about how awesome Jimmy Cliff is, who in turn talks about Sam Cooke and divine intervention. An explosive show for July! Oh yeah, and we also test your knowledge of America songs in the MMMPod medley.
