The Game Changer

by John Flores

As most of you may or may not know I spent the last part of 2014 looking for a piglet to adopt. I thought I had found the perfect pig. We had already named her Eleanor, Eleanor Rigby, to be exact. Her mom had been rescued from a slaughterhouse. 2 days after taking in this pig, she gave birth to 5 piglets. We went to go meet her and we thought she was perfect. All we had to do was wait for her to get spayed and she was coming home with us. Long story short, the adoption fell through for various reasons with the main reason being that I owned “pit bulls”.

I was pretty upset for a while but I knew there were so many out there that needed to be rescued it was only a matter of time before the right little piggy walked into my life. And like most events that happen in our lives, it happened when I least expected it.

One day Elisha and I were out at the pound in San Bernardino looking to pull dogs. No dogs were available at the time (which is another story in itself) but instead of going home Elisha suggested we drive out to Orange County. Now the drive from San Bernardino to Orange County isn’t close, especially when you live right in the middle but when it comes to saving dogs, it’s always worth the trip!

As we were walking around the pound, I happened to look up at Elisha and she was as wide eyed as I’d ever seen her. When I asked her what was wrong she told me to look behind her. And there he was…a little piglet that was taken in by animal control. He was black like Eleanor and about the same size but this guy was different. There was just something about his personality that told me he would fit in with my pack better than Eleanor would. He was actually found as a stray and brought in that day. He wouldn’t be available for 4 more days so I made sure to be there bright and early on Sunday, just in case anyone was there to adopt him. Needless to say, I walked out of the pound with our piglet that Paige had named, Snack Pak!

We’ve had Snack Pak now for almost 3 weeks and while integration has been just the same as with the new fosters I bring in, all the dogs have adjusted just fine. Yes, Snackers, is my first pig so I’m learning as I go but I’m giving him the same rules and boundaries as I give the dogs and it seems to be working just fine. It’s just that Snack Pak is a little smarter than the dogs so he’s definitely challenging me. He loves Penny and loves to torment Elvis, Wally and even Fletcher. For those of you wondering, yes he spends time with the dogs but he’s NEVER left alone with them. He’s also proving that my “killer pit bulls” are not “inherently dangerous”.   He’s an extremely friendly pig whose snorting can brighten anyone’s day. The same pound that brought Elvis into my pack and gave me fosters such as Jude, Tater Tot, and Clarabella, has now brought me Snack Pak.

People ask me all the time what kind of pig he is. Is he a micro pig? Is he a mini pig? How big will he get? And the only answer I can honestly give is that he’s a rescue pig. And at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how big he gets or how small he stays, he’s family now. He’s here to stay. I’m pretty sure he was someone’s pet and they thought he was going to stay small and he didn’t. Pigs just don’t roam around the city, especially not in Orange County!

And to think, had it not been for Elisha wanting to go all the way to Orange County, I may have never found Snack Pak. Yes, he’s changed the way I eat and my views on animal rescue, as a whole. But that’s another story for another time. And had Elisha not wanted to go to Orange County that day I may have not had my eyes opened to the girl of my dreams but again… that’s another story for another time!

Everyone welcome Snack Pak to the crew. He’s definitely a game changer in more ways than one.

John Flores

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