Some animals hit the sanctuary and seem almost from day one to develop a rock-star-like fan base. Sprocket the pig certainly fits that description. It didn’t take long for him to have a whole flock of people wanting to spend time with him. Within months of arriving at the sanctuary, he started going on sleepovers.
In no time at all he was in such high demand that if a visitor didn’t schedule him for a sleepover in advance, they’d likely be out of luck! On that very first sleepover he might have taken a little time getting used to the slippery floor, but other than that, he was hooked. Sprocket was every bit as excited to go on sleepovers as the visitors were to have him.
Things went uninterrupted like that for a long while. Then, several months back, the pig caregivers noticed a slight limp in Sprocket’s walk. After a medical check-up, the vets found that Sprocket had a hairline fracture in his leg. This could have happened any of a hundred ways to an active pig like Sprocket. (For one thing, he likes to play rather rough with Daphne the pig.) However it happened, he had to take it easy. He may not have minded so much if that didn’t mean one thing in particular — no sleepovers.
The cottages and cabins at Best Friends have ramps and slippery floors, neither of which are good for a pig on the mend. For those several months, poor Sprocket and his loyal fan base were both disappointed.
Sprocket had to follow a careful exercise routine during this time. He had to rest, but he also needed some exercise to get stronger. This ended up being a fifteen-minute walk each day. It took a lot of patience on Sprocket’s part, but after enough time, he was really starting to hit his stride again. He was feeling better. Only problem, at least according to Sprocket, nobody was noticing fast enough!
So he decided to drop a none-too-subtle hint one afternoon. There happened to be a large crate outside, one with the door swung open. This particular crate was the same size as the one used for his sleepover transportation. Sprocket wasn’t about to waste an opportunity. He beelined it inside the carrier, turned around and stared right at pig manager Yvonne McIntosh with a look that said plain as day, "Um, when are you sending me out again?"
Two weeks later, after a thorough inspection and clean bill of health, Sprocket was back on the sleepover job! Anybody interested? Better take a number. …
Story by David Dickson
Photo by Gary Kalpakoff
While sleepovers are a lot of fun for such a young and active pig, Sprocket would really love a home to call his own. He is available for adoption.
