Pigs and popcorn

The best things in life are free. True enough. But there’s also a lot to be said for good old-fashioned merchandise every now and then. Ever seen a potbellied pig dance a merry jig before? The pigs at Best Friends are tripping over themselves with joy, all because of a recently acquired gadget. A new, fancy, spiffed-up machine that promises to improve their quality of life from here on out.

Popcorn for pigs

All hail the popcorn popper! You know, sometimes in life it’s okay to have your cake and eat it, too. Popcorn is one of those treats that, believe it or not, is actually good for you (provided you don’t first fire-hose it in butter and salt). And it tastes great. Who can resist the enticing smell of freshly popped popcorn? Not these pigs! The Best Friends pig mom, Yvonne, just picked up a hot-air popper—no salt, no butter—and went around giving the pigs their first taste of guilt-free indulgence. They’d never had popcorn before.

Enthusiastic pigs

Boy, you should’ve been there! A bucket of fresh popcorn on a cold, crisp day. Man, oh man, they were doing backflips. Many visitors like to feed treats to the animals, but too many treats are a bad thing, even if the pigs don’t think so. Now, however, volunteers will be able to spread the joy a bit more often, since this delightful puffed piece of happiness isn’t packed with calories.

Feel like being a hero? Stop by and help the pigs make the most of their new technological wonder. As Jack of beanstalk fame might say, there’s magic in a handful of seeds!

Learn more about life for pigs at the Sanctuary

Photos by April Dickson