Hawaii girl Crystal Kimhan moved from Pearl City to Las Vegas over 11 years ago. Besides being affected by the high cost of living, she also had another reason to move.  "I wanted to have sufficient space for my animals to be happy," she said.

She has several animals at home: two elderly dogs, two parrots and two tortoises, all rescued from shelters and one very sociable pig named Pork Chop. Pork Chop was purchased from a breeder in Texas.

Crystal Kimhan and Pork Chop. (Photo courtesy Crystal Kimhan)

Kimhan is passionate about pig rescue. She has been saving pigs for several years. "Pig rescue is not new, as the importation of these potbelly pigs in the mid-80s caused a nationwide fad.  That of course fizzled, and sanctuaries and rescues have to come to their aid.  Right now, I am the only pig rescue organization in Southern Nevada, strictly out of need, as the fad has risen again," says Kimhan.

Her organization is called VegasPigPets. So far she's found homes for 40 pigs, a major feat. Once Kimhan gets to them, they may not be social enough to be placed into another home. The hard truth is if they can't be rehomed, they are euthanized or eaten.

Piglets are cute when they're small, but they often grow to larger than their owners expect. (Photo Courtesy Crystal Kimhan)

Kimhan shares information about pig rescue through her two websites at www.vegaspigpets.org and www.teacuppig.info . Both websites tell the hard truth about cute piglets that outgrow their homes and wind up in shelters or are eaten.  She travels out-of-state at least twice a month to transfer pigs to other rescue venues.

Kimhan has a huge networking ohana, some in other states. She tries to keep the pig in its original home until she can find permanent one.  It takes about 2-6 months to find a suitable home. Potential adoptive parents undergo screening and checks. Only ten percent  of the applications are accepted. Once the "match" is made, Kimhan or her associates not only transport the pig to their new home, but work with the new owner to make sure the pig settles in nicely. 

I asked why there are so many unwanted pigs. There are many reasons, she said. Breeders often mislead the public by selling "mini" or "teacup" pigs. Pigs continue to grow up to 5 years old. When a  pig hits 80-100 pounds, no one wants it anymore.  

Pigs also have the tendency to "uproot" or "dig" carpet or furniture. Kimhan says, "Pigs are still pigs and need to root and dig!" 

Another reason is that breeders do not "fix" piglets before sale. Kimhan warns, " An unfixed pig NEVER makes a good pet, it's just plain hormones and especially in males, they turn sexually aggressive!"

Pigs are extremely intelligent. They are the fifth smartest animal behind humans, primates, dolphins and whales.  Kimhan advises, "It's like having a 3 year old!  You need to be prepared to raise a pig for the full 20 years."

Sadly, celebrities like Paris Hilton will buy a piglet as a pet and then everyone wants one. Most people don't do any research on what it's like to raise a pig.

It's people like Kimhan, with a very big heart, that helps these unwanted animals.  

Tags: crystal kimhan, unwanted pigs

This entry was posted on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 8:50 am and is filed under pigs, rescue. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.