Hanai was bred to be an FFA pig. Her tail was docked. Her ears were notched. She was meant to be killed and eaten. BLIND LUCK put her in the hands of people who wanted to spare her lifeā¦and after the fair, they took her home as a pet. City regulations in SoCal do not allow enormous pigs as backyard suburban pets. Thatās where we came in. When we moved to Tennessee, the āWashington Bigsā found a private little holler all for themselves, and Hanai was the bouncer in the holler. Youād never guess she was the BOSS of the herd, but she was the strongest female, and so it actually made sense. She guarded her little herd and took no prisoners. She was built like a ā76 Lincoln Continental, which is exactly the herd alpha every pig wants.
HÄnai in Hawaiian culture refers to the adoption of someone into your family. Youāre a āhÄnai sisterā to someone who is your best friend. Youāre a āhÄnai daughterā to someone who is like your mother.
Hanai had never met Hillbilly Wilbur. They lived on the same huge property under the protection of the same organizationā¦they had the very same caregiversā¦received the very same foodā¦got the very same bedding. But Hanai lived on the north side in the Washington/Minnesota neighborhood and Wilbur lived down south with the Old Guys. In an unusual set of medical circumstances, he became her hÄnai brother.
Wilbur needed bloodā¦and Hanai donated blood in an attempt to save his life. In trying to save one, we tragically lost them both. Their deaths were not relatedā¦each had their own set of issues after anesthesia.
Hanaiās story is now linked to Hillbilly Wilbur, a pig she had never met. This was an indescribable loss, but we will press on, trying to improve outcomes and standards of care for farmed animals and practicing kindness and compassion for every living being. Hanai will be greatly missed by her pig family, including Grace, Jolene, Sid, and her human family.
