Pets have a special way of transforming the lives of their owners — sometimes in the most unexpected ways. That’s exactly what happened to Canadians Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter back in 2012, when they brought home what they believed was a miniature pig named Esther.
At first, Esther seemed like the perfect little pet. But within two years, she had grown from a tiny 1.8 kg to a staggering 294 kg! It soon became clear she wasn’t a mini-pig at all, but a full-sized commercial pig. Still, that didn’t matter one bit to Steve and Derek.
Even before Esther reached her massive size, the couple realized she wasn’t what they were told — but by then, it was too late to turn back. They had already fallen in love with her.
Today, Esther lives comfortably in their home and even has her own bed. According to her humans, she’s incredibly friendly and loves interacting with people.
But as charming as this story sounds, the couple warns that keeping a pig isn’t something to take lightly. Esther came into their lives under unusual circumstances, and they had to adapt quickly. Despite being misled by the sellers, Steve and Derek don’t regret a thing — in fact, they’re grateful.
Esther’s presence completely changed their outlook on animals. After bringing her home, they both gave up eating meat and became vegetarians. As they say, it felt wrong to eat bacon when a pig was sleeping in the next room.
Now, the couple is committed to giving Esther the best life possible. And if she gets even bigger? No problem — they’ll just find a house that fits her.
