on the way home

In September of 2024, I stumbled across an unusual post in a Facebook group for local moms. A family’s mini-pigs had recently given birth to a litter and the piglets  needed homes. I sent it to my husband (mostly as a joke) and, before I knew it, he had sent the family a message and set up a time to go meet them. We told ourselves we were “just going to have a look” and each did some quick research… and a few days later, we were driving home with a very tiny, three week old piglet! 

We named him Bramble.

Let me stop here and mention that this is absolutely not how anyone should go about getting a pet pig. We made many mistakes in the early days and found (or were given) a lot of incorrect information. For one, three weeks old is entirely too young for a piglet to leave his mama; pigs not only get necessary nutrition from their mothers, but need the social experience that comes from staying with their litter for 8 weeks or more! Thankfully, we soon discovered some better sources of information and were able to take more fitting care of the little guy. Articles, podcasts, mini-pig Facebook groups, you name it… we took it to heart to educate ourselves as much as we could!

As we got to know this piglet, we soon realized how incredibly smart and sweet he was… he learned to sit before he was even weaned! We took him with us to parks and pet-friendly stores, where he was always a star, bringing smiles and laughter to those who met him. He was always eager to meet new people and show off his tricks! At the same time, we realized what a joy it was just to sit outside with him and watch him root, graze, or just bask in the sunlight. We decided that we wanted to share this experience with others, and gradually began to explore entering the world of pet therapy. 

Bramble won our family over immediately, and has captured the hearts of many others! His goofy personality, affection, attentiveness, and peaceful disposition have charmed us. We are dedicated to giving him the best life possible and spreading the joy he brings our family with every oink through Therapigs!