Peterborough Blogs
Check Out This Adorable Video Of Riverview Park & Zoo's Stewie Working A Puzzle Feeder
/The Riverview Park & Zoo posted an adorable video of a squirrel monkey named Stewie on their Facebook page working a “puzzle feeder” that is getting thousands of views.
Stewie
"An important part of zookeeping is providing daily enrichment for the animals,” the zoo explains in the Facebook post. “Enrichment promotes natural behaviours, enhances mental and physical well-being, and increases an animal’s control over their environment. In addition to all these benefits, it's fun!”
Watch a puzzled Stewie working the feeder to get to his fave food, mealworms…
The Most Adorable Peterborough Video Of 2018 Might Be These Meerkats With A Halloween Pumpkin At Peterborough Zoo
/A cute video the Riverview Park & Zoo recent posted to their Facebook page is getting thousands of views across various social media platforms.
The zoo thanked all the people that dropped off pumpkins there after Halloween, as the pumpkins are great enrichment for many of their animals. The pumpkins were definitely a smashing success for the Meerkats.
The post has become of our most retweeted of 2018…
Watch the Riverview Park & Zoo’s original video that has amassed nearly 12,000 views so far on their Facebook page…
Watch: Bullet The Pig On PTBOCanada Show
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Bullet on PTBOCanada show. He loves his Cheerios!
On Episode 27 of PTBOCanada, our Neil Morton interviews Sarah Heydon, owner of the local celebrity pig Bullet the Pig, who appears at many events.
Sara discusses the amazing impact Bullet has had on her life… and the life of many others.
Sarah Heydon on PTBOCanada
Watch our interview with Sarah (and Bullet) below, and learn more about Bullet in this recent article we did about him…
Fall In Love With A Peterborough Piglet Named Bullet Having An Impact On So Many
/Most people choose dogs or cats as pets, or perhaps a hamster, ferret, fish or bird. Sarah Heydon grew up that traditional route as well with cats and dogs, but when she got a pet pig named Bullet about a year and a half ago, it changed her life.
She completely fell in love with Bullet—they actually even share a birthday, May 24th—as have all those that meet this outgoing, adorable piglet at events and on walking trails. Indeed, he’s becoming a bit of a celebrity—and even has his own Instagram page.
But before we continue with the now about the impact this mini-pig has had on her and others, let’s back up to the beginning, to the Once Upon A Time.
Sarah’s journey with Bullet began when she saw a post that someone had put into the Peterborough Buy and Sell Facebook group. The woman was trying to sell a litter of pigs, and specified "For pets only, not food."
This was when Sarah realized that perhaps having a pig in her home was in the realm of possibility. The only connection to pigs Sarah had up until this point in her life was limited to the fact that she had made a deliberate choice not to eat pig meat as a child, something she’s carried into adulthood now as a vegetarian.
Sarah with Bullet
“I began to research if owning a pig was a feasible option for me,” Sarah tells PTBOCanada. “I started reading online resources and made connections to knowledgeable breeders for several weeks before I decided to commit. When I checked Kijiji, I found there were plenty of pigs in the area being re-homed. I drove to Oshawa to meet Jackson (soon to be renamed Bullet), whose family had put him up for adoption. This tiny 12-week-old piglet immediately stole my heart, and the rest as they say, is history.”
Sarah brought the piglet home to her place in Peterborough that she shares with her partner Shane Curry, potty training him in her backyard in a matter of a day or so, and training him on the leash quickly as well.
She changed his name to Bullet, as she is an Armed Guard and shoots at a firearms club in Cobourg. Bullet spends some time in the backyard, but is a bit of a diva compared to the younger pigs Sarah has now, preferring to be warm and cuddled up inside. Just like many humans, he is not a big fan of the rain or the cold.
He’s also had a bit of a rough stretch lately, as he lost his best buddy Pearl the Pig (also adopted), who Sarah had to put down unexpectedly this summer due to a twisted intestine that she couldn’t recover from—even after surgery.
Best buddies: Pearl and Bullet
Bullet and Pearl loved to go with Sarah and Shane to the Harold Town Conservation Area trails and explore. Bullet got depressed when Pearl passed away, and at this point turns up his nose a bit to the seven month old pigs—Piper (the “P” a nod to the deceased Pearl) and Ivy—that Sarah has now.
”Pigs tend to do better with a friend, as they are social animals,” Sarah explains. “Pearl and Bullet were the ultimate pig duo, and Bullet was largely responsible for training her, as she followed him everywhere! Their bond has yet to be duplicated. Losing her was so devastating to Bullet and me. In the days after having to put her down, I realized how deeply these animals have affected my life. Pigs are wonderful.”
Shane with Bullet
Bullet gets recognized a lot by other pet owners and hikers on the Harold Town trails, many of which know him by name. “I did not want to miss out on my favourite past time of hiking just because I have a pig rather than a dog,” Sarah tells PTBOCanada. “Harold Town is his 'happy place’.” Indeed, pigs—like dogs—love going for walks.
People regard Bullet in amazement when they spot him on the trails. He is a wonder to watch as he sprints through the forest—pigs can run a 7 minute mile—stopping to eat grass, rolling in mud, all the while never leaving Sarah’s sight. ”Bullet will explore off the trails in the trees while we walk, but he’ll come when he is called if he falls behind,” she says.
On the trails, dogs are typically more interested in Bullet than he is them. “Pigs don’t typically ‘play’ in the sense that dogs do,” Sarah explains. “They do a bit as piglets, but so far I have seen them all grow out of it for the most part. They do have random bursts of energy though, as they will sprint, run around like crazy, spin in circles, etc. Pigs will also bark like a dog when they are happy.”
Sarah and Shane with Bullet
Sarah gets asked a lot of questions about Bullet—”You have a pig? Why?”—and loves educating people on how these pot belly pigs actually make great pets.
“I believe pigs are one of the most misunderstood of domesticated animals,” Sarah says. “Since pigs are mainly associated with food, there is little or no education on what these beautiful animals are truly like. I will tell you first hand, they are so much more than breakfast! With hundreds of vocalizations to translate, an intellect compared to that of a three-year-old, and a tendency to explore with their mouths, they are more comparable to a toddler rather than a dog.”
Some people Sarah meets on the trails and events and beyond have told her that meeting Bullet has made them second guess what they eat, or stop eating pig products completely. “I can't help but declare Bullet as Peterborough's official ambassador for pig education, and I am merely the Liaison,” Sarah says.
The adorable Bullet
Sarah gets asked a laundry list of questions by curious observers—including us—about having a pig as a pet. Some of the oft-repeated facts she gives:
-> Pigs can live up to 20 years
-> Mini pigs will grow to between 50 to 300 pounds, at an interval speed until approximately five years of age.
-> Sarah feeds him human food (of course, not bacon) rather than pellets, such as grain, veggies, fruit, seeds, nuts and Cheerios.
-> There is no such as “micro pigs” that stay small. “Micro pigs do not exist—it is a marketing scheme developed by breeders to sell their litters at higher price,” Sarah says.
-> They do “bark” when happy
Speaking of happy, now on to that celebrity factor that Bullet is developing. His friendly, outgoing nature—not to mention his cuteness quotient—means that his cool factor goes beyond Instagram.
He has met so many fantastic people, and become so socialized, that Sarah has started carting him around to many local events. This includes several with the Peterborough Humane Society, Peterborough Vegfest and the Keene Pumpkin Festival, to name a few. People love getting their pictures taken with Bullet, who brings joy to adults and children alike.
Chill time at home involves Bullet, Piper and Ivy sleeping on the couch while Sarah and Shane are at work. “They get gated into the living room since Bullet is known to help himself to snacks in the fridge,” Sarah says, adding that the pigs (like other animals) like to be right up in bed with the couple—Shane hates this, Sarah not so much.
Sarah’s affection for and perspective on pigs has changed her life. So much so that the couple have begun looking for a home in which they can have the space to rescue and foster other pigs—a passion project inspired by Bullet and a tribute to Pearl.
“Shane and I will look for a home with upwards of three acres,” she says. She knows full well that fostering and rescuing pigs is a bit of a battle financially, but Sarah is dreaming big and one can’t doubt that she will find a way to make it work. Pigs are her passion.
Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here. Watch our PTBOCanada Love video here.
Remember The Old Monkey House At The Zoo
/Way back in the day, the Riverview Park & Zoo's Dobbin Building down at the water was known as the "Monkey House", housing monkeys and various other slithery creatures.
The zoo shared vintage old pictures on their Facebook page of that house that will be a great trip down memory lane for many. Have a look at some pics ("feeding the carps" not included—remember those nearby?) below...
15 Rescue Dogs Saved From A South Korean Meat Farm Have Arrived At Peterborough Humane Society
/UPDATED (April 14th): The 15 dogs rescued from the Korean Meat Farms through the great work of Humane Society International have arrived at Peterborough Humane Society and are currently being vetted by a team of highly trained volunteers led by Veterinarian Dr. Bruce Robertson.
Photo courtesy Susan Dunkley, Peterborough Humane Society
Before being put up for adoption, the dogs will be settling into the shelter over the weekend so that they can properly be assessed and full medical assessments can be completed to ensure that they are ready for placement in their new forever home.
No dogs will be available for adoption this weekend, and PHS will be making an announcement when they are. An adoption application will be required for each interested family, ensuring that people who are considering an adoption of these lovely animals are aware of the implications of their breed and the special needs they will have due to their living status up until a month or so ago.
Photo courtesy Susan Dunkley, Peterborough Humane Society
“This is a small example of the great work that our Peterborough team can do, especially once we are in our new facility and will have increased potential to provide the best in animal welfare both locally and globally,” says Shawn Morey, Executive Director of the Peterborough Humane Society.
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ORIGINAL POST (April 13th)
Peterborough Humane Society sent a dedicated team of staff and volunteers and three trucks to Montreal on Friday (April 13th) to pick up 15 dogs rescued from a Korean Meat Farm that were brought to Canada through Humane Society International.
Peterborough Humane team and volunteers that worked together on dog transfer
Humane Society International have worked in South Korea for the past three years and have permanently closed down 10 dog meat farms, transporting more than 1,200 dogs to safety in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Here is one of the rescued dogs being loaded onto a Peterborough Humane Society truck...
Photo courtesy Susan Dunkley, Peterborough Humane Society
“Weeks ago, these dogs lived a life of severe deprivation, crammed in barren wire cages and chained to stakes in the ground on a South Korean dog meat farm," says Rebecca Aldworth, executive director for Humane Society International/Canada.
"They had no protection from the cold and were denied even the most basic of their needs, such as proper food, veterinary care and socialization. But thanks in large part to the generosity of the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation, HSI was able to rescue these deserving dogs and bring them to safety here in Canada. We are forever grateful to the Peterborough Humane Society, and all of our incredible placement partners, for working to find forever homes for these wonderful dogs.”
One of the rescued dogs from Korea: Photo courtesy Susan Dunkley, Peterborough Humane Society
Eighty dogs from Korea were flown into Montreal, and 15 of them will be heading to Peterborough later on Friday. They will eventually be ready to find their forever homes once they have been given a full bill of health and been spayed or neutered.
Rescue dog from Korea: Photo courtesy Susan Dunkley, Peterborough Humane Society
“We are extremely excited to be establishing this relationship with the team at HSI in an effort to find these beautiful dogs deserving homes in our community," says Shawn Morey, Executive Director of the Peterborough Humane Society.
"These wonderful dogs are all between eight months and a year old and did not have a favourable future ahead of them. With the support of many staff and volunteers willing to help, we are making a very positive difference in animal welfare."
Rescue dog from Korea: Photo courtesy Susan Dunkley, Peterborough Humane Society
