May real–life claim story

May-2018-Pet-Gazette-Real-Life-Claim-Story-header

Swooning for a swine? This pig parent has important advice.

Longtime Nationwide pet insurance member Justin Miller is the proud pet parent of two dogs, nine chickens, one rooster and two very spoiled pigs. He talks with us about his menagerie ("My backyard sounds a bit like Jurassic Park, haha") and shares some words of wisdom for anyone thinking about getting a pig as a pet.

To be honest, pigs were never too high on my list of "pets to live with" until about three years ago, when I came across an article about pigs as pets. The more I read, the more I realized they're not only fascinating animals, but animals that are mistreated on so many levels. I've always been a really big animal rescue advocate and the abuse they endure led me to my first rescue, Theodore Pig Newton.

That's some pig!

At the beginning of last year, a friend sent me a link to a pig at the local shelter who had been picked up by animal control and was being sent to a livestock auction. Unfortunately, when animals are sent there, most are purchased for consumption. I took one look at that hairless, dry-skinned boy (they were calling him Wilbur), and knew he was the one.

I drove over to the auction on the morning he was being brought out, and told everyone there not to bother bidding on him because I would outbid them. I'm 6'4" and covered in tattoos. Everyone followed my request.

They wheeled Wilbur out in a cart, and as it went past I could see him standing inside, oinking, tail wagging. It broke my heart to see this happy guy in an environment like this, especially thinking that someone could have taken him home to eat him.

The auctioneer started at $25 and, just as planned, no one but me bid. So two minutes later, I had myself a pig. Uh-oh. What did I just do? In hindsight, it was one of the best decisions I've made.

Hoofing it to Raleigh

Theodore—formerly Wilbur—lived as the solo piggy until we found our next rescue. Talulah was picked up by animal control in Asheville, N.C. and had spent five months in a cement cell. The shelter put out a desperate call for adoption as they were inundated with pigs, most of which were dumped for "not being micro pigs." (More on that later.)

Talulah was getting prepped to be euthanized when I made the call to a friend who lives there. He connected me with a friend of his who happened to be making a cross-state trip that day. I messaged him with a very unusual request: "Hey, Michael. You don't know me but is there any way you can pick up a pig from the local shelter for me and meet me tonight? She's a pet, NOT food."