What happens when a cute foster piglet appears on your Facebook feed? You adopt it, of course!
Originally from the UK, Machela and Ryan had a dream of owning a small hobby farm where they could rescue ex-racing greyhounds in need of love. A dream many have, but few get to realise. “Five years later, here we are living in Australia with our little farm doing exactly that,” says Machela.
Adopting a pig was not always the plan for Machela and Ryan, until one day they came across a little piggy who had found herself with just hours left to live. It was a no-brainer for the couple. “We just had to save her,” says Machela. And with that, their newest family member, Penny, moved onto the farm.
A couple of months passed and Machela and Ryan started to notice that Penny was a little lonely. Not wanting her to spend her days on her own, they started to consider adopting a friend for her. Being long-time followers of the Facebook page Life of Pikelet, the couple were overjoyed to see that the latest foster kid, Pillow the piglet, was up for adoption.
“Pillow’s amazing photos and story are what drew us to her,” says Machaela. “It was just perfect that there was only a few weeks’ age difference between them. It's like it was meant to be.”
Excitement was soon followed by disappointment when they realised that their little farm in Mildura, Victoria, was such a long way from where Pillow was in foster care in Sydney. “We didn't think it would be possible to get a pig from Sydney to Mildura. But boy were we wrong!”
Machela decided to send in her adoption application through PetRescue anyway, and keep everything crossed for a miracle. Maybe, just maybe, Pillow could join their family. About an hour later she received a call from foster mum, Calley, and all of a sudden things started to fall into place.
It turns out that distance was definitely no barrier, and plans were made with Jetpets to fly Pillow from Sydney to Adelaide. Machela and Ryan then made the four-hour drive from Mildura to meet their newest family member. It just so happened that they were also transporting a rescue greyhound to his new forever home in Adelaide, so they left home with a foster dog and returned with an adopted piglet!
“We were so excited the whole journey, and when we arrived I leapt out of the car to go and meet Pillow. We were surprised at how calm she was, and she instantly started munching on some yummy food we brought along for her. It really was love at first sight.”
Upon arriving home, Machela and Ryan took Pillow inside and introduced her to her new sister, Penny. “The introduction went amazingly. The girls slept next to each other all night, like they'd been true best friends since birth!” The girls have been inseparable ever since - they sleep together, eat together and play together. It's truly a match made in piggy heaven.
Not only was Pillow very happy with her new piggy friend, but with her human parents too. “The most satisfying moment for me, in getting to know Pillow, was when she first cuddled me and fell to sleep in my lap. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than when an animal first trusts you and seeks you out for comfort. It was truly a wonderful moment.”
Apart from Pillow’s crazy barking (she thinks she’s half pig, half dog), she makes a beautiful happy noise and gives amazing cuddles when you arrive home. “She is always so happy to see us, and it’s one of the best feelings in the world.”
Since Pillow arrived in Machela and Ryan’s lives, there has been nothing but love and laughter. “She is truly a special little piggy.”
Their little farm is now home to Pillow, Penny, Quinn and Harley (goats), Ellie and Shelley (chickens), and Billy, Bella and Sky (greyhounds). A real dream come true in our opinion!
Want a little Pillow in your life? Well you’re in luck! Pillow features in our 2018 calendar - available in-store and online from PETstock.