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We have received congratulatory correspondence from many people in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia regarding our website. The vast majority have been thankful for the information available free of charge. As is obvious from the title page, this is a farm website. We believe animals should be raised in as close to natural surroundings as possible to provide them a safe, happy animal home. However, some people believe that Potbellies should not be eaten because they see them as pets. There are many Potbellies that need to be "rescued" because their popularity as pets quickly waned. These former pet owners wouldn’t think of eating them, but have no problem dumping them.
As to some insisting potbellies are pets and somehow different than other pigs, this is simply untrue. Potbellies will freely interbreed with any other pig and have fertile offspring. Some zealots have abused this fact to have potbellies classified as pets in some regions and then, by extension, managed to ban all pork production. Whether an animal is called livestock, pet or pest mostly depends on where you live. Somewhere in the world, all "pets" are considered food, including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, parrots, lizards, etc. Personally, I believe it is animal abuse to keep a pig in a house and deprive it the basic desires to root and socialize with other pigs.
The basic nature of pigs.
There are those in the land of luxury who talk about Potbelly pigs as "natural pets". I have observed many, many generations of potbellies, many generations of sheep and a couple of generations of dogs. The basic nature of these animals is evident in the way the mother and young offspring respond to their first encounter with humans, when they are only days old.
With dogs, both the pups and the mothers are happy for the encounter. The pups go out of their way to have a friendly interaction, and the mothers are happy about it. Puppies that have been dumped in the country by some unscrupulous person have, after being covered with hundreds of ticks and wandered in the woods for likely several days found our house and come running up to me like I was a long lost friend. Luckily I was able to nurse them back to health and find homes for them. It is well known that it is poor judgment for an unknown person to approach a mother dog with pups.
In sheep, the lambs are curious if approached within the first week, and gradually over time they become a little more skittish. The ewes have lowered their heads and stamped in disapproval, but so far have never attacked. I am sure, if they thought the lamb was being harmed, the ewes and rams would attack, because I have seen them attack other creatures that have wandered between an ewe and her lamb.
With pigs, the behavior has been very different. The sows have been completely indifferent about our approach to examine the litter. Even if we pick up a piglet, and it starts to squeal in that deafening way that tiny pigs can manage, the mother simply grunts and ambles around, looking for any corn it thinks we might have dropped. Her glance back at the piglet, if there is even that, appears to have the manner as if to say, "What do you want now, do you ever stop screaming?" The piglets have an innate fear of people, and will squeal and run at amazingly fast bursts of speed to run away. Pigs do not naturally take to domestication, or handling by humans. In order to make them manageable, people take the piglets away from the sows and bottle feed them. They deprive the piglet access to its mother. The mother’s response to this is complete indifference
What follows is the hate mail we have received regarding our philosophy. The comments need no commentary, since the aberrant nature of them speaks for itself. They are included unedited. All the way at the end are some spoof hate mails sent to us by supporters.
Tats14@aol.com
POTBELLY PIGS ARE PETS....THEY ARE NOT TO EAT.....ITS LIKE EATING A DOG...
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE......... POTBELLY PIGS ARE NOT FOOD.......
ITS KNOW IF YOU EAT POTBELLY PIG MEAT YOU WILL GET CANCER IT HAS HAPPEND TO LOTS OF PEOPLE....CANT BELIVE THIS IS STILL ON THE MARKET,MABE THEY ARE TRYING TO LOWER THE PEOPLE POPULATION...I GUESS...BECAREFUL.....
Tats14@aol.com
YOU WILL GET CANCER....THEY ARE PETS....BEWARE...THEY ARNT TELLING PEOPLE....YOU CAN NOT EAT THEM ITS SO BAD FOR YOU ,,,ITS LIKE EATING A DOG WHO HAS RABIES....CANCER WILL FORM WITH IN 6-10 YEARS...DONT SELL THE MEET AND DONT EAT IT.....YOU WILL BE SORRY IN THE LONG RUN....THEY ARE GREAT PETS BUT NOT A MEAL...
ILoveMyPBPiggy@aol.com
I find it interesting that your web site has many untrue facts in it. Maybe it is so you can promote something so you can make the all mighty dollar. First potbelly pigs are extremely intelligent animals, yes they do use their brains. Also you are promoting them as "organic" meat just because they graze, allow a regular farm pig to do the same and he will be "organic" too. It also amazes me that you promote them as better pork, yet you also state that it will be tough if not cooked a certain way. It sounds to me as if you just want to make a buck anyway possible. You say you're not cruel to animals. Maybe when they are in your care they are well cared for (questionable) and so you can make that sound legitimate, but what you are promoting is not facts about potbelly pigs, and that is cruel. They do not need their canine teeth removed to be social. They are so intelligent that they actually can become members of ones family, (they train better than dogs). I am the owner of an extremely smart potbelly pig, that was never livestock, livestock is raised to be eaten, usually on a farm. My pig has never seen a farm, she was born in a house so was her mother and father. Pork is the only meat I do not eat, I am not vegetarian, contrary to belief that pig owners are. I don't eat pork, not because I don't like it, but out of respect for this phenomenally incredible creature that you belittle just to make a buck. It is sad, because no, these creatures were not raised to be eaten, they were breed in this country, actually Canada originally, as pets. You are the one using them a pork. Would you eat your dog??? Would you sell your dog to be slaughtered??? You probably would if the price was right!
Rubyb2324@rogers.com
You people make me ill. I can only hope that one day the bullet ricochets as you say it can, and your pigs can have you for dinner.
Sherry.Burnett
GinaM411@aol.com
Pot Bellied pigs are not for consumption. That is the farm hogs position. Pot bellied pigs make great pets and companionship. They are wonderful, very smart, they know exactly what is going on all the time. They are pets. They are beautiful. Please stop using them for meat. This is just cruel.
Cyndityme@hotmail.com
hello i just saw you presentation of the pot belly pig -- butchering and meat --- ARE YOU kidding --- more meat on you not all grissel like on the pot belly i am sure...pot bellys are in this country as pets -NOT MEAT you should hate yourself and hopefully the people you sell these very intellegent kind trusting animal too will come back to complain and want THERE MONEY BACK ARE YOU JUST A PERSON WITHOUT A CONSCIENCE LOOKING FOR A QUICK BUCK AT ANY EXPENSE -- MAY GOD FORGIVE YOU --- THINK HE WILL? BUT YOU PROBABLY DON'T BELIEVE IN HIM OR YOU WOULDN'T BE THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE selling these wonderful creatures of god for food instead of companions. why don't you show yourself you are the good person you want to be and instead of having these animals that are highly intelligent - right below us humans being sold for food --- have them sold or actually adopted out to people who want a wonderful and loving companion for life --- these little guys can make you so happy when sad and bring joy into your life --why not go out to your pastures and see if i am wrong or right. they deserve to be loved and give love --- not a meal that is not worthy of eating........please re-think your thought process of these babies - PLEASE - you will feel so wonderful when you realize they are deserving to live their lives out until a ripe old age instead of being killed for that quick buck.
Cyndi Davison
Norskjenta@aol.com
Your web page makes me sick. Pot - bellied pigs are intelligent animals that should not be butchered for meat. Your explanation of the killing and butchering of these wonderful creatures is appalling. Please quit dealing in meat and start making your garden larger.
Sincerely,
Rita McVey
Vixxxxxxen@aol.com