Baxter: CEO for a day

by Dick Long

June 10, 2006

Baxter the pig laying in the sun.

It came to me quite clearly that Farm Caretaker Wayne should not ever be allowed to go on vacation, even for a day! You see, I had agreed to do the morning chores for him so he could enjoy a small amount of time at his favorite vacation destination, the Oregon Coast.

So when I arrived at the farm for morning chores, you can imagine my shock at finding that Baxter, an estimated 900 pound 6-year-old barrow Yorkshire pig, was in charge.

Baxter had been rescued from a research facility in La Jolla, Calif. and first found sanctuary at Pigs Peace in Washington. They did a great job of teaching Baxter what “peace” was all about.

Baxter’s first duty, on his day as Chief Executive Officer, was to break a rung out of the gate that separated his pasture from the rest of the farm and then climb through it, all 900+ pounds of him. With this new-found freedom, he was in “hog” heaven, and he thought the rest of the residents at Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary should be too.

He opened the gate to the pasture where the horses, Grace and Dylan, reside. They don’t particularly like pigs, however, so they retreated to the far reaches of their quarters. Then, he opened the gate to the burros’ pasture and allowed the llamas, goats and sheep to explore new territory.

He also opened the gate to the barnyard, so most animals would have unrestricted access to the barns. Needless to say, with all the gates open, by the time I arrived for morning chores, there was virtually no animal in his or her assigned quarters, and they all seemed very happy about that.

The biggest shock, however, was still to come. When I entered the area of the barn where all the feed is kept, an area that seemed safe from the invasion of wandering creatures, here was Baxter, munching on a 50 pound bag of food, having already done justice to a 50 pound bag of corn. Keep in mind the doors and gates seemed undisturbed! So….how does a 900+ pound pig “appear” in a seemingly secure area so that he can help himself to a little slice of heaven?

Hmmm. And they say pigs don’t fly!