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Mindy Howell had just finished breakfast at her long-term care centre this month when she spotted something she’d never seen before: A pig walking the hall on a leash.
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Brett Martin, who oversees maintenance at the Good Samaritan Society senior living facility in Olathe, Kansas, was sauntering along with his house pig. He told her the little spotted pig was named Odin, after the Norse god of wisdom and magic.
Howell, 62, said she soon learned Odin likes to be hand-fed cereal. She was more than happy to oblige.
“I gave him some Cap’n Crunch cereal and he really seemed to enjoy it,” Howell said. “I’d never fed a pig before, and I’d never petted one either. But he loved it, and he gave me a good oink.”
Martin, 43, had an idea over the summer that his sociable 1-year-old pig might brighten the days of the 122 residents at the home, so he asked his supervisor if he could start to bring Odin into work with him. He got a resounding yes.
Fred Pitzl, the nursing home’s administrator, said he was all in once he learned that Odin was fully vaccinated and trained to use a litter box, and would be led around on a leash. The pig would also hang out in Martin’s office for much of the day.
“I admit I was a little nervous at first, envisioning a greased pig running loose in the halls, but Brett won me over,” Pitzl said. “A lot of our residents grew up on farms, and I could see having a pig in their midst would be a lot of fun.”
Pitzl was also impressed that this was not Martin’s first go-round with raising a pig.
About 10 years ago, Martin’s children had surprised him with a small pet house pig named Sarge, and Martin said he and the pig formed an immediate bond.
“At the time, I was working with kids with special needs, and I saw the positive impact that pig had with them,” Martin said. “Everyone absolutely loved him.”
After Sarge died of age-related causes, Martin said he decided to get another pig from a registered breeder in Ohio about a year ago.
“He was 6 weeks old, and I named him Odin because I thought that name was a good fit with my dogs, Zeus and Thor,” he said.
Odin is a Juliana pig – one of the smallest breeds of pigs – typically growing between 40 and 80 pounds, Martin said, noting that Odin weighs about 50 pounds. Most small pigs, such as Vietnamese potbellied pigs, have been crossbred over generations.
“Some people call small breeds micro pigs or teacup pigs, but in the pig world, there is really no such thing,” Martin said. “They’re just small pigs. When I got Odin, he was about the size of a monster energy drink.”
Keeping a pig in the home can be a challenge because they grow much larger than most people expect, and they need an outdoor area for rooting around in the dirt. People who aren’t ready for a commitment shouldn’t get one as a pet, said Helen Morrison, a director for the North American Pet Pig Association, noting that small pigs can live for up to about 18 years.
Too many pet pigs end up at animal shelters when people learn how much care they need, she said.
“They really aren’t for most people, especially people who live in apartments and condos,” Morrison said. “They need to get outside to root around, and they need a secure fenced yard.”
She said the idea of taking a pet pig to a nursing home, though, is a good thing.
“When my grandmother was in a nursing home, I used to take my pig Damien in and everybody loved him and fed him carrots,” she said. “Treated properly, they’re very social animals.”
Martin said for him, the extra effort and food bill for Odin has been worth it.
“Odin loves to play in the mud at home and he uses the dog door to go in and out,” he said. “He’s very affectionate and personable, and he loves to snuggle on the couch and be scratched.”
At the senior care centre, the pig gets along with two cats that live there and plays with the dogs that other staffers frequently bring in, he said.
“He’s an instant stress reliever for everyone who interacts with him,” Martin said. “A few of the nurses will come and get him from the office and take him to our memory care centre, where he really brightens the day.”
One resident is a retired farmer who now has Alzheimer’s disease, he said.
“He gets really excited every time Odin is brought in,” Martin said. “It makes me feel good to know that Odin is having a happy impact on his life.”
Residents and staffers frequently drop by Martin’s office to give Odin hugs and grab an apple from a bucket to feed him.
“Probably his favorite treat, though, is Cheerios,” he said. “And lately, he’s been eating a lot of pumpkin.”
Care centre resident Jean Hilden, 75, said she had never seen a pig up close until she met Odin.
“I’m a city girl from Kansas City,” she said. “When I first saw Odin, I thought, ‘Oh, there’s a dog with a waggly tail.’ When I saw he was a pig, I thought, ‘Oh, that can’t be.’ He greeted me with an oink and came over to be petted, just as cute as can be.”
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Martin said everything about taking his pig to work has been a breeze, other than getting him in the car at the end of each day. At 50 pounds, Odin is not a light lift.
“He will jump out but he won’t jump in. He has to be picked up and set in the car,” Martin said.
Odin does not like to leave the senior centre.
“He is smart enough to know when it’s time to go so he runs from me,” Martin said. “I have to find different ways to trick him to get him to leave with out a fight.”
“He seems to really enjoy hanging out here with the residents, and I love seeing their faces light up with they see Odin,” he said.
“It isn’t easy when someone has to leave their home and move into a long-term care centre, so anything Odin can do to give them a little boost is a good thing,” Martin added. “I always joke that he should be mayor of the building. He’s a very good little pig.”