When we met Puddles in 2021, we were told simply she’s “in her teens.” We scrounged for information on her, finally landing on a snippet of a record from back in 2012. She was indeed old, but that’s not a complete story for any of us, is it? Who wants to just be known as old?
Puddles was sassy and opinionated. She moved through her day with intention. She had business to handle! She was one of the smallest in her neighborhood of ginormous pig friends, but she slept wherever she pleased, and people moved to accommodate her and her tiny wattles. She may have been small, but Puddles was impossible to overlook. She was respected by her family and her caregivers—a mini lady boss of the Cabin House Neighborhood.
We helped Puddles age as gracefully as possible, assisting her however we could. But when Puddles had enough of being boosted and coddled, we honored how she communicated that to us. Arthritis is the number one problem we face in pigs of every age, and eventually, it always wins. It’s a very humbling honor to help them age and pass with dignity.
Puddles was a joy to know. And we’re immensely grateful to have known her as an individual for this last part of her life. See you on the other side, sister.