Rocket joins our Angel Herd

In 2001 the SPCA contacted me about a pig they had seized in an animal
cruelty case. Hooves over grown as well as tusks and now after being
treated he was ready to be moved. Shirley and I went to the shelter
with crate in hand and to the back of the dog runs we found him. With a
pail to drink from , a blanket to rest and all on concrete floors.
Since then things have changed for pigs in our shelters and this i
know we did together.

I put the crate up to the doorway and told him he would have to be very
brave but i had come to bring him home. That he would have a good house ,
lots of food and i would protect him from the others. George as named
by them walked right into the crate with out a second blink and we
brought him home. When we took the lid off the crate once in his yard
he rolled over for a belly rub right there. A very quiet pig but no
doubt a very wise one.

In October he went off his dinner and i found evidence of vomit in his
house. Thinking ulcers i had his stool tested and it came back with
blood in it so the vet i used then put him on meds. He rallied and
when i further checked weeks later with the vet about now treating him
for ulcers she told me to just see how he was doing. He went off his
dinner the same night as Peppermint Patty. I called that same vet and they
had me refill his prescription. But by Monday he was no better and i
doubted the dose and had it checked with another vet. The dose was wrong,
2 1/2 days wrong dose and too late to have the correct one change the
outcome.. I had used Pepsid, Pepto-Bismol and although there was no
vomit in his house i can't help but think his treatment was not
proactive and waiting to see how things go are not in the best interest of
anyone.

Rocket is gone, and my emergency vet helped him cross over at about
12: 30 today. Rocket renamed for being the fastest pig at everything
including eating has joined one of his closest friends Barney who left us
the year before. He will continue his work today as he is being taken
for necropsy and will join Peppermint Patty's remains as we allow what
they started so long ago and continue as teachers of Pig.