Written By Jeffrey Roth
Jonathan was just three months old when he and his two porcine brothers, Gordy and Willie, were given up by his West Virginia family.
Jeff Lambert, president and founder of Whispering Rise Farm & Animal Sanctuary, in nearby Freeland, said the family who owned “the three West Virginia boys,” (potbelly pigs), decided they could no longer care for them.
Now, thanks to the efforts of Lambert, a child services professional, and his wife, Bonnie, a high school principal, the three little pigs live in pig-proportioned A-frame huts. Lambert’s sanctuary accepted its first guest in October 2011.
Jonathan, Gordy and Willie’s story is not unusual. The number of potbellied pigs that are dropped off at animal shelters increases quickly after families realize what is involved in caring for the animals.
Potbelly pigs were first imported to the U.S. from Canada for display in zoos in the mid 1980s. The original pigs were all black, had a wrinkled skin, and were a good deal larger: up to 300 pounds, about twice the weight of today’s animals.
At first, the pigs sold for as much as $20,000, and wealthy Americans purchased them as exotic pets. During the 1990s, the price dropped as the diminutive porkers became more popular. Lambert said they now sell for around the same price as purebred dogs.
“We have found that a lot of people will get a potbelly pig as a novelty pet,” Lambert said. “People get them and keep them confined to a small area, which causes them to get fat. Then they develop behavior problems, such as chewing woodwork and furniture.”
Often, potbelly pigs are brought into a household that has a family dog, Lambert said. It is not unusual for the dog to attack the pig.
Unscrupulous breeders, Lambert said, advertise “teacup pigs” for sale and claim that they will remain small. Families are not told, Lambert said, that the cute little piglets will grow into normal size potbelly pigs: 150 to 200 pounds.
The combination of the 1990s fad and hype about potbelly pigs, along with sales to an uninformed public, has resulted in an increase in the number of abandoned potbelly pigs. Fortunately, there are a growing number of sanctuaries being founded to rescue the animals, but there are always more pigs that need rescuing than shelters that are available.
The idea to create a program designed to foster human-animal interaction first occurred to Lambert while working on the now-defunct 170-acre River’s Bend Farm, in Sterling, Va. The facility served as a residential placement for children with marked behavioral problems, Lambert said.
“The farm had 15 rescued horses,” Lambert said. “The people who owned the farm had purchased the horses at auction to save them from being sold for dog food. I worked there for six years, eventually as director. I noticed that some of these kids formed a connection with the animals and got some benefit out of the relation. When I left there and moved to Maryland to run group homes in Baltimore and Howard counties, the idea was always in the back of my mind.”
In 1994, the Lamberts moved to the farm in Freeland, which is in Baltimore County, about 22 miles east of Westminster. About three years ago, in his mid-50s, Lambert decided “it was now or never” to act on his idea to create a program that benefits both at-risk youth and animals. Through the years, the Lamberts have had a connection with the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals.
In 2009, Lambert and his wife, whose family lives in Utah, went for a visit. While there, Lambert enrolled in a Best Friends training program, where he was exposed to potbelly pigs.
For several months after returning to Virginia, Lambert did not move forward with founding his own shelter. When he was offered a part-time job in Prince Georges County, he accepted, and he took it as an omen that it was time to fulfill his dream.
“In June 2011, I got the go-ahead from the Baltimore County zoning department,” Lambert said. “In August, a couple of volunteers and I started building the huts.” In October, he got his first call from a potbelly pig rescue network.
Eventually, he plans to provide homes to 40 pigs and to incorporate the human-animal interaction component. Lambert said he does not plan to make any therapeutic claims about the benefits of the interaction. Rather, he hopes people will visit the sanctuary to see and meet the pigs; perhaps, also help to feed and care for them.
“The pigs are all very different,” Lambert said. “What has become real clear is that they all have very distinct personalities and they are smart – they can figure things out.”
Potbelly pigs are also said to be easy to train. The pigs require as much training as dogs. They are said to be more intelligent than dogs, which also makes them more inquisitive, which allows them to escape enclosures in a variety of ways, as Lambert, has learned.
Furthermore, said Lambert, “They have a social hierarchy. They are herd animals and each one holds a specific station in the group. Some are very gentle and will take food from your hand, while others are more aggressive. Some will roll onto their backs in a submissive posture and allow their bellies to be rubbed. Others won’t do that.”
Rosebud, one of Lambert’s first arrivals, is a senior pig that had been overfed and allowed to become food-aggressive, Lambert said. After living with her family for 10 years, she had become obese and arthritic. When a child in the family attempted to feed her by hand, she snapped at him. She is now happily wallowing in her own mud hole at the sanctuary.
Lambert said he is actively working at securing more funding from various sources. Private donations are accepted; and volunteers are welcome.
For more information on the sanctuary or the pigs who live there, visit www.wrfas.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/wrfas; for more information on Best Friends Animal Society, visit www.bestfriends.org.
The Skinny on Potbelly Pigs
Jeff Lambert, president and founder of Whispering Rise Farm & Animal Sanctuary, a potbelly pig rescue and sanctuary, located in Freeland, said the potbellied pig that most people are familiar with originated in South East Asia, particularly, in Vietnam.
Potbelly pig were not created through selective breeding. Rather they are an animal that is native to the South East Asia area. There are four types, which were probably the result of cross-breeding four types of Vietnamese pigs.
The pot belly, pointed ears, swayed back, straight tail, size and gentle disposition are common traits for this type of pig.
There are many myths associated with the potbelly pig, Lambert said. Here is a list of the most common traits associated with the animal:
There is no such thing as teacup or tiny pigs. Irresponsible breeders pass off baby pigs as teacups to fool the public and increase sales. It takes up to five years for pigs to reach full size.
Pigs are smarter and easier to housetrain than dogs. They are not always obedient though; like cats, in some ways.
Pigs are clean and do not smell when living a healthy life. They use mud to keep cool because nature designed them to do so.
When fed a proper diet full of healthy vegetables, pigs will have “curves,” but will not be obese. Pigs love to run and play. Only pigs that have been misfed and/or overfed will be “porky.”
Pigs are full of personality. Some are quiet; some are comical; and all can be very affectionate.
Pigs can be trained just like dogs. They can be clicker-trained to learn commands and to perform tricks.
