Esther the Wonder Pig Has Passed Away
Esther the Wonder Pig, the beloved pig whose remarkable journey inspired people worldwide to perceive farmed animals as individuals, has passed away at the age of 11.
Photo: Esther the Wonder Pig/Instagram
Esther the Wonder Pig, who inspired compassion for farmed animals around the world, has passed away peacefully after a six-year battle with cancer, her guardians have announced.
Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter adopted a piglet named Esther in 2012, under the impression that she was a "micropig" whose weight would not exceed 70 pounds. However, Esther rapidly grew to 600 pounds in just three years. By then, the pair had already fallen in love with her.
Over the following 11 years, Esther transformed her dads’ lives, inspiring them to go vegan and become dedicated animal activists.
On the Esther the Wonder Pig website, Jenkins and Walter expressed: “Esther made us look at ourselves and what we were supporting every time we spent money on day-to-day goods which supported animal exploitation and cruelty. We decided we couldn’t do it anymore. Morally and ethically it made sense. We did it one step at a time and although it was a learning curve, we have been able to make the switch quite easily. Veganism is about living cruelty-free. Cruelty free to animals. Cruelty-free to the environment, and cruelty-free to yourself.”
In addition to embracing veganism, they also founded the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary, dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of abandoned and abused farmed animals Their sanctuary provides shelter and care for a variety of animals, including chickens, cows, sheep, and donkeys.
Furthermore, the pair released several books inspired by Esther, including The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig, Esther the Wonder Pig, and Happily Ever Esther.
Photo: Esther the Wonder Pig/Instagram
Esther’s story also reached hundreds of thousands of people around the world through social media, encouraging them to consider the individual animals being killed for their food choices.
The beloved pig’s death was announced on her Instagram page by Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter who wrote that “the day we all wished would never come has arrived.”
“There’s no easy way to say this, but the day we all wished would never come has arrived. Esther has passed away. She was calm and peaceful, and fell asleep with her dad Steve by her side,” read the post.
“While we understand many of you will have questions, and we will have the answers for you, we are going to take a little break to process the situation. Even though Esther is no longer physically with us, her memory and legacy will live forever. Esther is immortal, and we will continue to show the world that all animals deserve to be loved just like she was,” it added.
“She will forever be remembered”
Tributes and messages poured in on the Instagram post from vegan organizations, animal activists, and sanctuaries.
Animal advocacy group Mercy For Animals said: “Steve and Derek, We are so sorry to hear about Esther's passing. She brought joy, humor, and undeniable warmth to all who followed her adventures. But more importantly, she undoubtedly saved countless animals by educating and inspiring people to make the connection and make more compassionate choices. Thank you so much for sharing Esther's life with all of us.”
Meanwhile, Species Unite wrote “We’re so sorry for your loss. Esther was adored by so many. She will forever be remembered for how much compassion she helped bring to the world.”
Photo: Esther the Wonder Pig/Instagram
And Mockingbird Farm Sanctuary added: “Thank you for bringing her into the light with a megaphone and showing the world how incredibly worthy farmed animals are of not just compassion, but pure love, devotion and a life. We love you all. Rest in eternal fields of wildflowers and cupcakes darling girl.”
Fighting Factory Farming
Nearly all livestock animals in the US are factory-farmed, according to Our World in Data.
Publicly available figures from the government show that 10 billion animals in the US were factory-farmed in 2017 - that’s 99 percent of all livestock in the country.
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The footage was reportedly recorded at Marshall BioResources in North Rose, New York, where up to 22,000 dogs - mostly beagles - are being bred for animal experimentation.