Jedediah was one of our “North Carolina Boys” who had a really pretty dark spotted pattern on his right rear that was an essential part of identifying him early on. Yorkshires are mostly pink, and those spots were really critical identifiers when there were so many of them to differentiate. He was an unassuming sweetheart who liked the simple things in life…apples, swamping and family. Jedediah and his brothers, including Eli, lived in the peace of the Feral Neighborhood under the watchful eyes of Big Boss Charity.
The “North Carolina Boys” were a group of very rare survivors from the flooding of Hurricane Florence in 2018. When the Category 4 storm caused torrential rain and flooding, factory farmed pigs were locked in the barns to drown. These boys were swept out of their prisons by the flood waters, and eleven of them were sent to live here in Tennessee. Factory farmed males are bred to grow very quickly and are typically slaughtered at 250-300 pounds. Sadly, growing into maturity causes many problems for these Yorkshires, predominantly arthritis.
We did our very best to help Jedediah enjoy the things he loved best. Family. Food. Comfort. It’s no different in any species. We want our final days to be as pleasant as possible. Jedediah had worsening mobility issues for quite a while, and there’s just no fix for giant aging bodies. Jedediah passed at home, with his caregivers by his side.
It was an honor to have known Jedediah and cared for him in his final years. He will be missed by all of us, including his surviving brothers, Ennis, Asher, Everett and Harlan.