“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world.” Paul Farmer
Warning: you may never eat fragrant bacon or a succulent pork chop again, after reading this book, or at the very least, you might begin thinking about going to a more plant based diet! 🙂
One day Steve Jenkins came home with a gift to surprise his partner Derek. Since they already had a couple of dogs and cats, he thought he would get an interesting boutique pet–a micro pig. Well, don’t believe everything you read on online. It turns out that the seller of this cute little piglet did not tell the truth and Esther the mini-pig would grow into a 650 pound farm animal and would change her owners’ lives forever! By the time they figured it out, it was too late. They had already fallen in love with Esther.
Living in Georgetown, Ontario they were terrified because of zoning laws, that Esther would be removed from their home, as well as the impracticality of having a massive pet in the house was becoming increasingly evident. The solution they eventually came to was genius. They bought a farm and started a sanctuary that rescues and rehabilitates abandoned and abused farm animals. According to the Hog Blog, they now have 64 residents: pigs, cows, birds, goats, a donkey, a horse, sheep, rabbits, and of course their own dogs and cats. There is a huge team of volunteers and donors who help to keep the place running and the Ontario farm is open for visitors if you’d like to go and see for yourself!
The sequel Happily Ever Esther carries on seamlessly from the first book, focussing on how these sanctuary owners and accidental animal activists managed in the first four years. I listened to the audio book which is narrated by Steve himself. Anyone who has ever moved, knows that adjustment doesn’t happen overnight. In this case it wasn’t just living in a new place, but also learning about how to run a farm. Even though Steve is a real estate agent, his eagerness had blinded him to the serious amount of work it was going to take to get the farm, house, and barn up to the standards necessary. But the couple met their new challenges with the same resilience, grace, and love it took to learn how to live in a residential home with a 650 pound farm animal. In addition to rescuing animals, their aim is also to win hearts to a vegan lifestyle through example, positivity, humour, and kindness–no judgement here, just guidance and open conversation. Their website is worth a visit: Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary.
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