Esther the Wonder Pig
Esther was supposed to be a “micro
piglet”—and she was until she grew
into her 295 kg (650 pound) adult
self. Owners Steve Jenkins and
Derek Walter never imagined how
macro their lives would be as a result
of this little piggy. Inspiring three
New York Times bestsellers and a
social media following bigger than
Brie Larson (1.4 million on Facebook
alone), Esther will be receiving the
celluloid treatment this year. The
Donners’ Company, which produced
Free Willy, is developing Esther’s
story for Hollywood’s red carpet. Two
years after Esther’s arrival in 2012
(and her subsequent growth spurt),
Jenkins and Walter established the
Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary
in Campbellville, Ontario. They now
rescue and rehabilitate abused farmed
animals. When Esther seemed off her
game and was in need of treatment, a
medical roadblock was met: there was
no way to examine Esther in Canada,
and a trip to the U.S. would necessitate
a quarantine, among other legalities.
Esther fans ponied up, and more than
$750,000 was raised to purchase a
scanner, the first in Canada to hold
a pig of her girth. The scanner was
priceless: Esther was diagnosed with
breast cancer, which was successfully
resolved with surgery. Aside from
creating a reliably fun and colourful
Facebook feed, Esther and her owners
are establishing a legacy. Happy Year
of the Pig, Esther!
happilyeveresther.ca
estherthewonderpig.com24ABABOUOUTTAAWHWHOLOLEEBUBUNCNCHHOFOFSSTUTUFFFFEach issue, we showcase products, ideas and
places that we know you’ll love, too.THINGS WE