iN PHOTOS: Where lost pigs live out their days in the Okanagan

When a pig gets lost, loses its home to wildfire, or its owners simply can’t care for it anymore, a woman in Summerland steps up and takes them in. Faith Affleck has been running the Star Piggly Wiggly Sanctuary since 2013, and she recently swooped in when two unruly pigs were on the loose in West Kelowna with no owner in sight.   There were two rambunctious pigs on the loose and Affleck was called round them up. So far no one has claimed the pair, and she has decided to call them Beevus and Butthead after the duo of cartoon characters who match their personalities. “I think whoever it was just couldn’t deal with them anymore because they’re rowdy,” she said. The two captured pigs are unfixed males so they tend to be harder to handle. She said one of the hardest parts about running an animal sanctuary is actually dealing with people. When people believe they can get a teacup pig and then realize the pig is getting bigger and bigger and they can’t care for it anymore, Affleck takes the animal in.  “One guy told me, ‘well, I live in strata, so I don't even know why I bought the pig,’” she said. “You can't even have like a hamster when you live in Strata. You know?” She said lots of people enjoy keeping potbelly pigs as pets, but they rarely know they’ve signed up to take care of the animal for up to 20 years. The Star Piggly Wiggly Sanctuary is a non-profit that runs on donations. The sanctuary is having an open house to help raise money to take care of the dozens of friendly long-nosed creatures next weekend, Sept. 28 and 29. The first pig Affleck ever rescued is the sanctuary’s namesake, Star. Shortly after Star died Affleck started rescuing pigs from all over the Okanagan. She knows everything about the 43 pigs currently in her care. As Affleck walked around the sanctuary’s many pens she recalled each pig’s story, their quirks and habits, their likes and dislikes. Some of them needed homes because their owners had to evacuate due to a wildfire. “They got evacuated from there. (Kiwi the pig) got so sick because of the stress that his whole undercarriage was black and blue. It looked like somebody beat him. But they didn't. It was just stress,” she said. Pigs are known for eating pretty much anything, but Affleck knows which pigs don’t like kale or peanut butter sandwiches. “I get very, very attached to all my animals,” she said. “Just having them here and knowing that they're safe, and letting them know that they're safe.” On top of all the pigs she has a cat, ducks and a rooster. Affleck wants to spread the word that getting a pig as a pet is a big commitment, but they can be great pets. She has even taught pigs to do tricks. “Penny, when I got her, she was four and a half months old when I brought her home. And I taught her a whole bunch of tricks,” she said. “She knows how to sit, spin. Go around my legs. Go through my legs. She can stand up. She can shake a hoof.” Schools occasionally take field trips to the sanctuary to feed the pigs and learn about Affleck’s hobby farm. During one school’s fundraiser its principal had to kiss a pig for one of the donation milestones. “The principal had to either kiss a pig or shave her head,” she said. “(Wilbur the pig) went up there and we walked into the gymnasium with 300 kids in there. She kissed him. Then we walked right back outside and stood there. He and I were doing pictures too, and then the principal came back out again because she wanted to kiss him again. Because she just loved him.” Click here to find out more about Star Piggly Wiggly’s Sanctuary. https://www.starspigglywigglyssanctuary.com/ To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas mailto:jtomas@infonews.ca  or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .