Happy Year of the Pig! 🐷

The New Year – Take Two

Today, Feb 5^th, 2019 begins the Chinese New Year; a chance for those of us who may have fallen off of our resolution commitments on January 1^st to get a do over. After all, this year we are celebrating The Year of the Pig and pigs are forgiving and compassionate fellow beings.

In the Chinese zodiac, the pig represents fortune, honesty, and happiness. Did you know that people born under the sign of the pig are big hearted, good to their friends, and would never harm another?

We often use the word “pig” as an insult – “what a pig!” and “I ate like a pig.” But I’ll wager there are a few things you may not know about your pig friends that might make you think twice before using their name as a putdown.

5 Great Reasons to Love Pigs

1. Pigs are Smarter Than Dogs. So smart in fact they come up on many top ten lists of smartest animals on the planet. Pigs can use mirrors to find food, play the joystick on video games, recognize their own names, and even dream. Needless to say, pigs make excellent animal companions in the home.
2. Pig Pride. The next time someone sees your dirty laundry on the floor and calls you a pig turn around and let them know pigs are clean animals. Given their druthers, pigs don’t poop near their eating or sleeping areas and even like to bathe. Because they don’t have sweat glands, pigs will roll around in mud to stay cool. Sounds like fun to me!
3. Pigs as the Life of the Party. As social as dogs, pigs also love to play and they experience close bonds with people and other animals. They even love to get massages. If you like dog kisses, you will love it when a pig greets you by rubbing your nose.
4. Pigs are Great Moms. Just like human mothers, a pig mom loves her children. Pigs are compassionate animals who become distressed when they see other animals and humans suffering. When a pig’s babies are taken from her for eventual slaughter, the mom will grow anxious and mourn their loss deeply. Overall, pigs are peaceful and only show aggression when they or their young are threatened.
5. Pig as My Hero. Years ago, in a small town on the east coast of the U.S., a pig named Lulu broke out of her yard to help her guardian, Joanne, who suffered a heart attack. Lulu lay on the road and played dead until a good Samaritan stopped to help her. Lulu got up and led him straight to Joanne. Joanne was rushed to the hospital and had open-heart surgery. Her doctors said that if 15 more minutes had passed Joanne would have died. Watch my TEDx talk and learn more about Lulu and The Amazing Animal-Human Health Connection.

The New Pig Paradigm

The Year of the Pig gives us food for thought when it comes to our relationships with the other animals we share our world with. Maybe you already made a New Years resolutions. Even so, I’d like you to consider adding one more fun and rewarding resolution to benefit your health and wellbeing. Today, google the word “Sanctuary” and take someone you love to visit the rescued farm animals who live there. Animals just like Lulu.

This year forgo the bacon on the plate and the pigs in a blanket and truly celebrate the year of the pig by embracing your inner pig. The part of you that is big hearted, good to your friends, and would never harm another – human or animal.

And the next time someone calls you a pig – smile and take it as a compliment.

Stay Pawsitive,

Carlyn MDO