Thursday, February 14, 2019

Feb. 13/2019

Feature:
Esther the Wonder Pig Weighs in to Help Out
       “TORONTO- At 6 years old & 650 lbs., Canadian social media sensation Esther the Wonder Pig is living comfortably on a sanctuary in Campbellville, Ont., where she likes to take a dip in her kiddie pool to cool off in the summer.

     But she does have a back issue that emerged last fall & hasn’t been diagnosed.

     The problem? There hasn’t been a CT scanner big enough in Canada to fit her-until now.

     Steve Jenkins & Derek Walter who write about their ‘pig- daughter’ experiences in their new memoir Happily Ever Esther have hit their US $508,000 fundraising goal to buy Canada’s first large animal scanner for the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College.

     Jenkins says the Italian-made Pegaso machine from Epica Medical Innovations is the largest of its kind in the world & can fit a horse.  

     The scanner has been delivered to the college, which has to pay about $500,000 to renovate a room to accommodate it & get special permits, says Jenkins…

     Jenkins & Walter also raised $60,000 more than their goal & plan to put that into a fund to help other sanctuaries & rescue organizations pay for the cost of using the scanner in an emergency situation… 

    With more than 1.3 million Facebook followers, Esther has attracted fans including actor Alan Cumming, who wrote the foreword for Happily Ever Esther. He has also visited Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary, as has comedy star Ricky Gervais.

     Happily Ever Esther, (Grand Central, 2018), the follow-up to Esther the Wonder Pig (Grand Central, 2016), explains how a friend of Jenkins’ contacted him in 2012 about adopting a so-called micro piglet. Esther was only 5 lbs. at the time but, to their surprise, grew to be a full- sized commercial pig.

     Jenkins & Walter eventually left their jobs & moved with Esther from their small home in Georgetown, Ont., to their current farm that houses more than 60 animals.

     Readers learn about their struggles to grasp the ins & outs of farm life, how Esther went through a ‘bratty’ teen phase, & the challenges of being public figures & running a sanctuary.

     The book, co-written by Caprice Crane, includes ‘Esther approved’ vegan recipes…”

Victoria Ahearn
The Canadian Press
The Gazette, Montreal
July 13/2018
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