A couple have revealed that they’ve turned vegetarian after rescuing a pig from death’s door – and say they treat him ‘like a child’.
Hampton Hamilton Pigglesworth Burroway Willis I, or Hammy for short, is living a life of luxury.
The farm animal was one of 40 piglets running around a makeshift pen, which were starving and thirsty in scorching 35 degree heat.
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Chuck Burroway, 43, and John Willis, 53, were “heartbroken” knowing what their fate would be.
And so, they stepped in – making Hammy their new ‘son’ and raising him ‘like a child’.
“Hampton is not our pet; he is our son,” John, who works in night maintenance, told What’s The Jam.
“We love him with everything we have to give.
“We knew nothing about pigs – we learned as we went.
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“We soon figured out how intelligent they are, especially if food is involved.
“We trained him to use a litter box at first, but he got too big.
“So we had to switch to a giant washing machine tray.
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“Then, Hampton potty trained himself.
“He just started peeing outside one day and stopped going in the house.
“He could do tricks like sit and stand up – and he even went swimming.
“It wasn’t long before we fell in love with this tint piglet.
“We made him a promise that we would always do anything to keep him safe and happy.”
John and Chuck, from Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, found him in 2020 after discovering a nearby pigpen.
He said: “My mum said there was this newly set up pig pen up the road.
“Some guy went to Georgia to a factory farm where they were throwing the surplus of piglets into a chipper – alive.
“So he took them with the intention of eating them.
“We one tiny piglet being rooted by the others and stepped on.
“My husband’s and my heart broke.”
Hammy, who turns six in May this year, lives in the couple’s house.
He often goes for walk with their dogs and once weighed a whopping 1,300lbs, as well as measuring nine-foot long and four-foot high.
Hammy has developed arthritis and was hospitalised due to elbow pain, limping and a fall.
Chuck added: “People told us to put him down, but he had no intention of giving up, so we didn’t.
“We had someone from a New York sanctuary drive down and transport him to the hospital, [which is] a five hour drive.
“It took over 20 local firefighters and a few cops to get him loaded.
“He was in the hospital for 50 days.
“It was incredibly difficult on us because he’d never been away from [home].”
The couple launched an Instagram and Facebook page, which now has over 12,000 followers, dedicated to Hampton during this time, with many people donating money to help pay for his $15,000 (USD) hospital bill.
He later went on a diet after getting out of hospital and remains on it, with him now weighing 945lbs.
Chuck added: “He has made quite an impact on us and the world.
“People see how gentle and sweet he is – and funny.
“They’ve dubbed him the King of Kindness.
“I feel a sense of joy that such a little runt who almost died has touched the hearts of so many.
“People tell me that they were having such a terrible day, and seeing him turned it around.
“We also feel that we need to share this remarkable little being to help people see that pigs are more than bacon and pork chops.
“They have feelings.
“Hammy experiences joy and sadness, pain and pleasure just like we do.
“We gave up meat very soon after getting Hammy.
“He opened our eyes.
“Mark my words, we love him more than life itself, and we will never stop fighting for this beautiful creation.”
The two say they plan to keep their promise to Hampton in the future too, as well as possibly open up small sanctuary called ‘Hampton’s Haven’.
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