March• 2018 | 37READER’S DIGEST
had such engaging personalities and
such intelligence? And where would
Esther be now if she hadn’t joined us?AND SO A FEW WEEKSafter getting
Esther, we realised we had to stop
eating bacon. Shortly after that, with
some difficulty, we cut out meat en-
tirely. And a few months after that,
dairy and eggs followed. We were
officially vegan – or ‘Esther-approved’,
as we like to call it.
In 2014, we moved half an hour’s
drive from town, where we founded
a farm where we care for abandoned
or abused farmed animals – so far, six
rabbits, six goats, two sheep, ten pigs
(not including Esther), one horse, one
donkey, three cows, three chickens
and a peacock.
Esther has changed our lives – that’s
obvious. And now it’s our turn to try to
change the world for other animals.
The name of our farm? The Happily
Ever Esther Sanctuary.two cats asleep there – it’s worth it
for the excitement she has added to
our world.
One thing I hadn’t expected was
just how many behaviours Esther
would share with the dogs. She’d
play with a Kong toy as they would,
shaking it back and forth. She’d want
to chase the cats and cuddle when
she was tired, climbing into our laps
to nuzzle – even as she outgrew the
dogs by 5, 10, 15 kg and more.
And just like the dogs, she often
wanted our attention. She started
playing and doing hilarious and
clever things on her own. (She can
open the fridge!) So we treated her
like one of the dogs. And that struck
us to our cores.
What made pigs different? Why
were they bred for food and held in
captivity while dogs and cats were
welcomed into our homes and treated
like family? Why were pigs the unlucky
ones? Why hadn’t we realised they
FROM THE BOOKESTHER THE WONDER PIGBY STEVE JENKINS AND DEREK WALTER, WITH CAPRICE CRANE © 2016
BY ETWP, INC. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING, NEW YORKCLOSE ENCOUNTERSA Republican candidate for the US Congress says she stands
by her claims she was abducted by tall, blonde aliens and taken
aboard a spaceship at age seven but that the incident shouldn’t
detract from what she’s done here on Earth. Bettina Rodriguez
Aguilera claimssince then the aliens have communicated
telepathically with her – although it is not clear whether they
told her to enter politics. Her son-in-law, Jarrod Agen, is US Vice
President Mike Pence’s deputy chief of staff.4 NEW YORK