From the jungles of Southeast Asia to the suburban homes, condos and apartments of the United States, the miniature (potbellied) pigs have been the “round pegs” forced into “square holes” for over 20 years.
Forced into a role as companion animals...a role they were never designed for...these tiny pigs were once sought after as the fad pets of the 80’s and 90’s. Now they are the latest disposable pets of our culture...dumped on the side of the road, left at animal shelters to be killed, or abandoned in state parks to be savaged by dogs or shot by authorities as nuisance animals.
From the factory farms to the dinner plate, the various breeds of farm pigs have been removed from the fields and woods, crammed by the millions into gigantic concrete and steel enclosures, deprived of fresh air and sunshine, genetically engineered to quickly produce lean meat, fed manufactured feeds laced with hormones and antibiotics and slaughtered in numbers that approach 2 million pigs each and every week. Their life in the factory farms...a mere 6-8 months... is a life that makes the Holocaust pale in comparison.
What do these intelligent, clean, social, herd-oriented animals have in common? If given the chance, they will all readily shed the veneer of “pet pig” or “farm commodity” and disappear into the woods to enjoy the space, freedom and privacy of nature without the interference of humans in their lives.
- from the PP website
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