Eight little pigs need new 'digs'

29.12.11

Four pairs of kunekune pigs are looking for new homes after being left without shelter in a field in Paddock Wood near Tonbridge in Kent.
 

The pigs, which range in age from a few months to a year old, were kept in four fenced pens with no place to get out of the ice, wind and rain. They had no straw or other bedding.

Members of the public had reported that the pigs were escaping onto a nearby road and were in danger of being run over.

The pigs' pens were 'a mire of puddles and mud'

RSPCA Inspector Andy Kirby said:

The bottom of their pens was just a mire of puddles and mud and they must have been lying down on this in all the snow and ice we've had recently.

The owner had been renting the field but was about to be evicted and agreed to hand the pigs over to us.

There was no sign of food and water in the pens but the pigs were not underweight, and they are very friendly so it's clear that they are used to being handled.

About the pigs

The kunekune is a small, short breed of pig that can range from between 122 and 240 pounds in weight.

They have a distinctive pair of tassels, called piri piri, under their chin like a goat.

RSPCA staff have named the youngest male and female, who are approximately six months old, Peppa and George.

A pair of brothers, who are about a year old, are now Woody and Buzz and two one-year-old male and female pairs are Rosemary and Thyme and Lady Hillary and Sir Nathaniel.

Specialist experienced homes needed

Owning and caring for a pig requires a great deal of commitment, time, skill, money, sufficient land, specialist veterinary care and compliance with the legislation governing keeping a pig.

The estimated cost to the RSPCA of boarding all eight pigs is more than £300 a week.

Any prospective owners of these pigs must have the correct facilities to care for livestock.

Even small breeds of pig such as kunekune need:

• lots of space to roam
• appropriate food
• a warm, dry pig house
• plenty of material to root around in, such as straw.

As pigs are such sociable creatures, they must be rehomed with at least one other friendly pig.

You can find out more about the specialist care that pet pigs need in our farm animals as pets pages.

Can you help?

If you can offer the right home and experience to any of these pigs, we'd love to hear from you. Please call the RSPCA 24-hour cruelty line: 0300 1234 999.