Before you take a bite into that piece of pork, we implore you to think about this fact: Pigs are known to be the 4th most intelligent animals behind monkeys and elephants. Although we like to believe that dogs are one of the smartest animals, pigs are intellectually superior to them. The leads us to one crucial question: If we wouldn’t eat dogs, why do so many people eat pigs?

The Discovery of Pig Intelligence

Scientists first discovered pig intelligence from an experiment in 1990 where they taught how to do tasks using a computer cursor. These smart little animals used their snouts to move the mouse and learned how to complete this task as quickly as the monkeys did. Amazing, right?

The Social Life of Pigs

For those who may not know, pigs are very social animals. In fact, at social maturity, there is a naturally formed hierarchy. In domestic and free-living, pigs live in groups roughly the size of about eight pigs to work together and learn from one another. These precious pink pigs can show empathy and compassion toward one another, too. It’s almost as if they have another sense that helps them discern whether or not someone or something will be nice to them.

To create a comparison that most will comprehend, these socially complex animals are similar to dogs. You can find many similarities in the way they love to play, their ability to distinguish familiar animals in their community from strangers that may infiltrate their space, and their memories, which can lead to learning habits and tricks.

Pig Cleanliness

Believe it or not, pigs are one of the cleanest animals there are. Just like humans, pigs like to separate their sleeping area from their bathroom area. Who wouldn’t? Most people will likely find this fact shocking, but once you get to know pigs as intimately as we have here at The Pink Pigs, you’ll understand! While, yes, pigs do roll around in the mud, the reason that they do this is an effort to cool off from the sun’s heat. Pigs lack sweat glands, and the cool mud is the best way for them to chill out.

Quick Pig Facts

1. Pigs can squeal as loud as a chainsaw, which is 115 decibels
2. Pigs love to cuddle
3. Pigs can run up to about 11 mph
4. Pigs have more than 20 different vocalizations for communicating
5. Piglets learn how to run to their mother’s voice

Inspiration: Quick-Witted Stella

A smart and beautiful pig, Stella, was the inspiration behind both Rooterville and Pink Pigs. When we found her, she had previously been suffering on a factory farm living in a tiny cage and giving birth to other pigs who would then live in poor conditions. She wandered onto a loving family’s driveway who brought her to us to be loved and cared for before her passing. Stella lived out her best life at our sanctuary, Rooterville, where she roamed and played freely as every pig should.

Why a Plant-Based Lifestyle is Best

Unfortunately, the pork industry is massive. It raises and kills over one billion pigs in a year. These pigs, which we just informed you, are smarter than your pets, are stuck in cages and mistreated and abused without the chance to live a free life as they should. Here at Pink Pigs and Rooterville, we follow a plant-based lifestyle, which many know as veganism. Choosing this lifestyle is more than just a change of diet, though. As plant-based followers and animal lovers, we avoid any animal cruelty or exploitation for any purpose. We find it utterly unacceptable to abuse and mistreat any animals, especially our beloved pigs.

Removing pork out of your diet is pretty easy due to the recent rise in plant-based living. Changing your diet can be as easy as replacing marinara for a meat sauce or choosing to replace meat with a bean or tofu substitute. Introduce more foods such as grains, beans, fruits, and nuts. Beyond food, you can also be vegan-friendly in your choices of accessories, clothing, makeup, and bathroom items.

Plant-Based Facts

• Vegan diets require 300 gallons of water a day, vs. meat-eating diets require 4,000 gallons.
• The meat industry has polluted over 35,000 miles of river in 22 states.
• Raising animals for food uses 30% of the Earth’s landmass.
• Livestock grazing is the #1 cause of extinct or threatened plant species.
• Chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cows are the largest producers of methane in the United States.

Learn More

If you’re interested in finding out more about the smart mind of pigs, we invite you to look at our non-profit pig sanctuary, Rooterville. We would be more than happy to talk to you about the importance of pigs and living a plant-based lifestyle. If you’d like to contact us, please call us at (386) 661-2287. You can also speak with our founder, Elaine West, by sending an email to Elaine@rooterville.org.