Holed up in the kitchen of a cramped little flat, Kunekunes Smokey and Haggis must have been boar-ed senseless. The original owners had bought them as piglets thinking they were miniatures.
But as the pigs grew rapidly in size and the owners were rehoused to a flat in Gateshead, near Newcastle, the animals became too much to handle. So they contacted the RSPCA who then launched a search to find the porcine pair a new home.
Thankfully it was a pig-tale with a happy ending. And Smokey and Haggis are now as happy as pigs in the proverbial after being moved to a spacious new home where they have acres to roam and forage.
Clare Dewhurst, who took them in, has a wealth of experience in looking after sheep and livestock at her home in County Durham. And she said the new additions, thought to be brothers, have proved themselves friendly and sociable with her family.
“We’re a farming family and we have had pet sheep and horses, but we’ve not had pigs before," she said. "We planned to get some for our daughter as she grows up and she adores both of them.
"They have settled in so well. I couldn’t believe they’d been kept in a flat, although you can tell they have spent time living indoors as they are very clean. They won’t toilet in their shelter and go outside to do their business!”
RSPCA chief inspector Lindsey Avery said there was a lot of interest in the pigs. But the animals have very specific needs and Clare was the first to meet the criteria of what they were looking for.
Kunekunes pigs were originally kept by New Zealand Maoris and, while they may be the smallest domesticated breed of pig in the world, people can underestimate how large they grow. They love human company but the RSPCA said they will only thrive if they have plenty of outdoor space.
Inspector Avery said: “Clare has a lovely paddock with a big tree for shelter. She’s got an agricultural background and knows what they need.
"There is a pig ark so they have outside shelter, as well as somewhere to sleep at night in a side stable. It has been a great outcome for this rehoming as we know it is a big commitment to keep pigs like these."
She added: "They can live a long time and people sometimes don’t take into account that they are not going to stay small forever. They think they are 'mini' pigs and don’t understand that they will grow to be adult pigs who need a lot of space.
“Now Smokey and Haggis have got lots of land and an owner who has researched the breed. She is really committed to providing them with a good home.”
This month the RSPCA launched its rehoming drive, Adoptober. The campaign aims to raise awareness of animals in need of a forever home at a time when rehoming has dropped 8% while the intake of animals is up 8.4% year-on-year.
