Today was a really hard day for me. Many of you know that about a year and a half ago we got a baby micro mini potbellied pig. George was ADORABLE as a baby. We had many reasons for getting a pet, the main one being we were told a pet would be really good for our Aspie kids. The responsibility, something to love, something to love them (other than us of course), something they could connect to. And we had many reasons for going with a pig over other animals. Too many to get into here, but one being they are allergy friendly, cheap to feed, incredibly smart and great for training to do tricks (something we thought the kids would really enjoy) and not too loud!
Well it was really great for awhile, REALLY fun, the kids loved him, he was sweet and part of the family. Then he started growing, and he started getting a little… angry.
As for the angry part. Last year he BIT my son in the forehead and my son had to get stitches. But we’d only had him for about 7 months and we thought maybe we needed to work on his training more, maybe it was our fault. We didn’t want to get rid of him at that point because, well that’s a hard decision to make.
Looking back it might have been better to do it then. From there it only got worse, soon the kids refused to even go outside in fear of George and he got more and more territorial. Then winter hit and no one went outside. Poor George got his food, warm water, a shed, with a bed and he had his heat lamps but didn’t have much company. That did NOT help his unfriendly nature and his increasing size didn’t help matters. He used to only get upset when the kids would enter “his” yard, but lately he’s been chasing and biting the adults as well. We decided it just wasn’t safe anymore to have him around kids, let alone the upcoming baby.
We went with a pig from a reputable dealer, or what we thought was. We were told George’s dad was 19 lbs and his mother was 25 lbs. They told us he’d be between 20 and 25 lbs… MAYBE reach 30 lbs. He’s now just over 1 1/2 years old and when we weighed him last week he was over 95 lbs. That’s more than my almost 10 year old weighs! He’s strong and mean. 2 weeks ago he got out of the yard, which is scary because he could really hurt another child.
So over the last few months we decided we needed to find another place for George. We’ve spent months calling places trying to find a place for George. We gave ourselves until the end of May to find a place or something else would have to be done. Well it’s the end of May. Today my husband took George to the vet and we had him put down. I’ve been bawling all day. It was the right thing to do for our family, but still so hard to make a decision to do that to a living creature. We’re all sad and relieved at the same time.
As soon as George left in the van (the kids don’t know exactly what happened, just that he’s gone, we’ll tell them when they get older and ask, but just not yet) they all went into the back yard and played. They haven’t played in the back yard since the bite last summer. It’s been almost a year since they’ve played in the back yard! How sad is that? They were so happy all afternoon enjoying the sunshine. I’m glad it was a sunny day. It was a great reminder that while a pet might still be good for our children having a yard is even better.
Anyway it was a hard day for me, and my pregnancy hormones don’t help. If your going to comment about what a monster I am don’t bother, I feel terrible but my kids are more important than a pet and always will be. So any negative comments will just get deleted (as always). I just wanted to share part of my real life today, it was a big emotional day and I felt like sharing.
Oh, my heart cries with yours. That is so difficult, but I agree – what is right for your children trumps all. I am so glad that something good and fun – getting the kids playing in the backyard helped ease the pain.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:37 pm
thank you so much. The kids def come first. And the joy in their faces when they play outside has been worth it. Just today they went straight from the van to the backyard as we got home from school! It makes me happy, so during the moments when we miss George I just remember that and it’s all worth it.
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Awww how terrible for you although I think you did the right thing. You wouldnt forgive yourself if George ended up hurting one of your children permanently. Hugs. x
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 8:49 pm
Thanks. Your right, I would NEVER have forgiven myself, better to be cautious in this case.
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I’m so sorry. You’re certainly not a monster – you’re a responsible parent. You bought that pig after researching and trying to make a great decision and unfortunately, he wasn’t at all what you thought you were getting. I’m so sad for you that you had to make that decision but I can’t imagine you had any other choice. Your kids have to be safe.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 8:51 pm
thank you so much. we thought we had done all the research we could, but in the end just became one of the unlucky ones. Not all get that big or that mean.
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You only did what any responsible parent would do. It’s not like you immediately took him to the vet, you first tried to find another home for him. My neighbor is having the same problem with her dog. She’s had him for about three years, and he’s fine with a seven year old, but snaps at toddlers. She just had a baby and has been trying to find another home for him, but is not having any luck.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 8:54 pm
It is hard, and putting a pet down is certainly the last option we all go to, but there comes a time when there isn’t any other choice. I hope your friend has better luck than we did.
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Bummer…what a hard decision to have to make. It’s hard being a parent and having to make those calls for your family. All the best as you grieve your loss and begin to heal as a family.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 8:55 pm
sometimes being the parent/adult sucks. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it has to be done.
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Having a pet put down is always a hard choice, but sometimes you don’t have a choice. That’s a nasty gash on your sons head and you have every right to protect your children in any way you have to. I know how hard it is to lose a pet, no matter the circumstances, I hope your family enjoys the backyard and makes a ton of new memories to displace this one unhappy one.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 8:59 pm
I know the backyard will be put to good use this year. It already has been absolutely WONDERFUL. No stress about the door getting left open, or George chasing the kids, etc… But at the same time there are moments when we miss him, where we forget he’s gone.
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I wonder if there really ARE mini pigs. My friend had the same experience 10 years ago. The pig is now (yes, it’s still alive) around 200lbs and not the nicest animal either. Luckily she has enough yard to keep the pig and her kids apart.
You made the right decision.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:01 pm
I don’t know. Normal potbellied pigs get to 300 lbs. the min potbellies are supposed to get to around 80, the micro mini’s (what we got) are supposed to be 30 and teacups are apparently even smaller. But they all have disclaimers on their sites that every once in a while a pig gets bigger than it’s supposed to. A big yard would’ve helped a lot.
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The monster in this story is the “reputable breeder” . So sorry for your loss!
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:06 pm
yeah I wish there was a way to know if any of the other buyers had the same problem or not. Did we just get unlucky or does EVERYONE get “unlucky”
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Oh that is sooo hard. I would have never thought of a pig as a pet, it kinda sounds fun if you get with the right breeder.
I am glad that you children are enjoying the back yard again, because that by far is the most important thing here.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:09 pm
My husband things it would make the perfect bachelors pet, not too needy but doesn’t like to compete with anyone for extra attention! Just not for a family with bigger priorities (like kids). they can be taught that they aren’t the leader of the pack, but it takes more work than we expected to do that.
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Such a hard decision, but definitely the right one! Hope you found some peace in the sunshine and smiles of your children.
xoxo,
Amy
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Thanks “nice” Amy! It’s one we’d been debating and talking about for quite some time. This weekend we decided to quit the debating and make a decision. I’m glad we didn’t’ draw it out. It was hard enough with a last min decision.
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I agree with all the other comments but wanted to offer my condolences as well. I know it is so hard but you did the best thing for your kids. He ended up being a really big pig. That must have been a shock.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:14 pm
Thanks! Even the Vet said he was big. At his first check up even the vet thought he would stay under 30 lbs. The huge amount of growth really surprised us all!
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What a bummer. Sometimes the right decisions are not always the easiest ones to make. ((Hugs))
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:15 pm
your right, I think it’s more often that sometimes. At least as a mom it seems that way! But that’s what being a good mom is all about, right? Making the tough decisions.
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Awww, sad that someone couldn’t provide a home for him, but I hear you. Our golden retriever started using Blake for a chew toy when he was abt 9 and a lot smaller. He was gone in less than a week. Fortunately, we were able to find a breeder who would take him, but he was just a nightmare dog. Sometimes you just don’t have the resources to fix the problem and you have to protect your family. We all breathed a sigh of relief when Theo left our house. We didn’t miss him for a minute and that kind of said it all because we are huge pet lovers.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:20 pm
there are moments that we’re already missing George, we did have him for a year and a half. Thats longer than most of the homes we’ve lived in! But just not worth it anymore, and it’s such an unusual pet that it’s hard to find a place for them.
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Ashlee,
I’m SO sorry that you had to make this decision. But you did do the right thing. And Heavenly Father knows what’s in your heart, and how you and the family TRIED to make a happy place for George! But, ultimately, your children’s safety is what matters the most! And WOW! What a turn-around with the kids in the yard! How wonderful that they’ve been able to reclaim a wonderful place to make memories that had been taken away from them for a time.
Here’s hoping that healing your heart will come quickly!! I love your blog, and grateful that we’re sisters!!
–Stacie
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Thanks Stacie! It was a tough decision to make. Hopefully he had a good life while he was here, he had lots to eat, got brushed and rubbed (by the adults, not the kids) and was adored the first 9 months of his life by everyone.
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Honestly, I would have gotten rid of it the first time it hurt my kid. I didn’t grow up with pets because everyone has allergies so I don’t know what it feels like to be emotionally tied to a pet. BUT now your kids can have fun in their back yard:) Sorry it was a difficult decision.
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Ashlee Reply:
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:30 pm
that’s what everyone told us to do. But we felt it was somewhat our fault and decided to try one more time. I grew up without pets because of allergies too. One of the reasons we went with a pig is because they have hair and not fur so no one is allergic to them.
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So, so sorry you had to go through this my friend. You did the right thing, even though it was hard. Hope you enjoy lots of sunny days in your yard now. (If it ever stops raining!)
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Ashlee Reply:
May 31st, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Thanks Kara, it was tough, harder for me that the kids, but that’s because they don’t even know what really happened. I’d LOVE to enjoy my yard, if ONLY we had sunny days!
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I am sorry that you had such a hard choice to make but want to commend you on taking time to search out other options. I know you are having a hard time right now but this is all very recent and after time it will become easier. Just remember your children always come first and you should NEVER feel sadden by any choice you have to make to put your children first!
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Ashlee Reply:
May 31st, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Thanks. It was hard to make the decision, but we’re so glad we did, every day it’s better and better.
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