Bringing his piglet to work – by Brett Martin-releasedA maintenance worker at a care home has begun bringing his pet pig to work, putting smiles on the faces of many of the residents.
Brett Martin, from the Good Samaritan Society in Olathe, Kansas, first got the idea over the summer, 10 years or so after his children surprised him on his birthday with a pet house pig the size of a tennis ball tube.
After that pig passed away, Martin was smitten, and went to a licensed breeder of Juliana pigs, one of the smallest pet pig breeds, for a new family member.
He asked the nursing home’s administrator Fred Pitzl, who was hesitant at first, but his misgivings were mainly down to misconceptions about what kind of pig it was. Though bearing a fierce name, Odin the pig is as gentle as a lamb.
“I gave him some Cap’n Crunch cereal and he really seemed to enjoy it,” Mindy Howell, a 62-year-old resident, told the Washington Post. “I’d never fed a pig before, and I’d never petted one either. But he loved it, and he gave me a good oink.”
Pitzl reckoned that many of the residents grew up on farms and would probably really appreciate taking an unexpected trip down memory lane.
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“He’s an instant stress reliever for everyone who interacts with him,” Martin said. “A few of the nurses will come and get him from the office and take him to our memory care center, where he really brightens the day.”
Brett Martin introduces Norma Hoban to Odin this month at the Good Samaritan Society. Credit: Good Samaritan Society.Odin wallows around the care home most days, relieving himself in the litter box and sleeping in Martin’s office. He loves to snack on cereal like Cheerios, which the residents readily offer him along with scratches.
The Washington Post, providing this loving story, added that he gets along with the resident cats, and a dog that is routinely brought in.
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As a result of this pampering, Odin is reticent to leave, and Martin usually has to trick his hog into leaving the building. If he suspects it’s time to go home, he’ll go hog wild and hide away.
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