Pigs might not be able to fly, but Rosie has them going on hikes!
At dinner with my parents, I revealed I had some big news.
‘I’m quitting hairdressing to become a pig farmer instead,’ I announced.
‘Great idea!’ Mum cheered.
The plan wasn’t quite as mad as it might sound…
I’d grown up on a farm and had always wanted to work
with animals.
Now, I was finally going to
take the plunge.
Soon, I was working on a farm.
The more time I spent with the pigs, the more I loved them.
They were such sweet and intelligent animals.
Each had their own unique personality, and they were as easy to train as dogs.
Online, I’d seen people with smaller-breed pigs as pets, so
I decided I’d adopt one myself.
There were loads of piggies looking for new homes, and over the next
year I rescued two
new friends.
First was Pumpkin, who came from a
farm where she’d been kept with no shelter
or bedding.
Then a few months later I adopted Tiny Tim, who’d been living in a dog crate at someone’s house. The crate had caused his poor trotters to become deformed.
They both settled in well, and it wasn’t long before I had my first litter of piglets!
Friends joked I was turning into a crazy pig lady.
By then, I’d given up my farm job and was focusing on running an animal rescue place full-time.
During Covid I’d noticed more and more pigs needing
a home.
'I've never seen anything like it!'
So I stopped breeding and focused on adoption.
Dottie came from a farm where she’d lived in cramped conditions
and had been bullied mercilessly by the other pigs. She was covered with nasty bite marks.
At first it was difficult integrating her with my existing herd. But with my years of experience, they all soon bonded.
At night, the trotters would sleep in a wooden cabin, while during
the day they enjoyed the run
of my garden.
It was rewarding to see them coming into their own after their tough starts in life.
Dottie had never seen snow before, and I was delighted when she zoomed about in excitement during her first winter with me.
I’d seen videos online of people walking their pigs just like dogs, and it seemed as though the amazing animals got a lot from it. So I looked into getting a ‘pig walking’ license which would allow me to take them on five approved routes through the woodland surrounding my house.
I even set up some ‘Pigs Crossing’ signs to give locals
a heads-up!
The pigs loved trundling through the undergrowth, snuffling out nuts I scattered
for them in the leaves.
We did get a few odd looks from passers-by though!
‘I’ve never seen anything like
it in my life!’ said one lady.
Dogs could be a bit taken aback too, but the piggies weren’t bothered by them at all.
One afternoon, I was catching up with my auntie over a coffee.
She told me she’d been on an ‘alpaca walk’ with pals and really enjoyed it.
‘I wonder if I could do that with the pigs,’ I said, thoughtfully.
And so Stubby Pigs was born!
At first, I struggled to get insurance because everyone thought it was a crazy idea.
‘No one’s ever done it before!’ I was told again and again.
But eventually I found somewhere willing to take a chance on my mad plan, and to my relief, bookings rolled in.
I was nervous for our first
walk – a five-mile ramble through the forest.
But the guests adored strolling along with their piggy pals, patting their backs and giggling at Pumpkin’s squeals of annoyance when the time came for us to head back home.
Since then, Stubby Pigs has gone from strength to strength.
Now I have five pigs and head off on three walks a day!
Well, those piggies need their oink-ercise!
Rosie Stubbs, 32, Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire