The popularity of keeping a pig around the house is not a strange new fad. Officially know as a dwarf swine and was developed in the 1960s. But it is circulating back around to be a popular pet again leaving pig rescues and sanctuaries worried about where these pigs will go once the novelty wears off.

Keith Connell, in 1985, was the person who originally imported potbellied pigs to Canada. He intended to provide the pig to laboratories and zoos. When a private buyer purchased one as a pet the frenzy started, by 1986 the market price ran into the thousands. Owners of a potbellied pig soon discovered their pet porker could tip the scales around 300 pounds without a lot of encouragement. If a potbellied pig owner doesn’t watch the pig’s diet, the pig may end up weighting only 100 to 200 pounds. Pigs are popular because they can be housebroken. Pigs can openly express their fondness for certain humans.

In October 1998, the Pittsburg Post-Gazette reported that Lulu, a pet potbellied pig, saved the life of her owner. Lulu’s owner collapsed from a heart attack. Knowing something was not right, Lulu went outside, past the yard, where she had never gone. Witnesses saw Lulu wait until a car approached, then walked onto the road and lay in front of the car. The driver stopped the car and got out. Lulu then led the man to the house where her owner lay. The man called for help and emergency crew arrived there shortly.