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TRIBUTE TO WILBUR

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I didn’t grow up wishing I had a pig. In fact, I never even thought about owning one. That is, until I went to the 2015 AMHA World Show in Ft Worth, Texas. Kirby Jones brought a litter of potbellied piglets to the show. Even when I walked over to look at them, I had no intention of buying a pig.

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Then I saw Wilbur. He looked up at me, and suddenly, that was all I could see. There were probably 15 piglets to choose from. There was only one for me. So this tiny piglet that fit in the palm of my hand traveled in the RV back to Oregon with me. And so his story began.

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Wilbur was not your ordinary, or typical pig. He hated getting dirty. He wouldn’t go near mud. He never once rooted in the yard. He hated getting wet. He about killed me when I tried to get him to enjoy a kiddie pool. If the rain started, he would beat feet it back to the house at mock speed.

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For the first three years, Wilbur slept in my bed with me. He lived in the house with the dogs and used the doggie door to go outside to do his business. I have house-trained many dogs, with varying results. Wilbur took one time of me showing him where to go, and he never had an accident in the house.

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Walking on his leash was an easy thing to teach him – getting the harness on was not so much. Still, he loved traveling and attended the next two World Shows with us, camping in the RV and going down to the arena to watch the show. He went to many local shows also, and was always a hit with the exhibitors.

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As Wilbur aged, getting up on the bed became too difficult, so he got a big, comfy bed in the laundry room. This quickly became “his” room. You didn’t mess with Wilbur’s room. He arranged it to fit his moods. The cabinet holding hats and gloves was fair game. I never knew where I would find it next. But he never tried to rearrange the rest of the house. He never destroyed anything. He never tracked in mud (because he hated getting muddy).

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Getting old slowed him down, and he no longer enjoyed traveling. He became an old man who depended on his routine and was content to eat and sleep. He now had “day beds” throughout the house, with his favorite spot in front of the fireplace. A sunbeam coming through the window would nearly always be shining down on Wilbur.

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I always knew the day would come when I had to say goodbye to this lovable, crazy boy. It came way too soon. I will always be grateful to my vet for making his last moments calm, loving, and full of his favorite treats. Rest in Peace, my dear sweet Wilbur. You are sorely missed.