Thought-to-be micro pigs re-homed by RSPCA after outgrowing Gateshead flat

The two Kunekunes were kept in a kitchen in their previous home in a flat in Gateshead. Credit: RSPCA

Two pigs whose owners thought they were a miniature breed have been given a new home after outgrowing the kitchen flat they were living in.

The Kunekune pigs, Smokey and Haggis, were being kept in a Gateshead flat until their owners gave them up.

But now the animals have been given a new home with Clare Dewhurst, an experienced sheep and livestock owner, in County Durham.

Ms Dewhurst said: “We’re a farming family and we have had pet sheep and horses, but we’ve not had pigs before. They have settled in so well.

"I couldn’t believe they’d been kept in a flat, although you can tell they have spent time living indoors as they are very clean. They won’t toilet in their shelter and go outside to do their business."

Smokey and Haggis are between one and two years old. Credit: RSPCA

The pair, who are believed to be brothers, had been in RSPCA care earlier this year. They now enjoy outdoor life in a large paddock with a shelter, proving to be a friendly and sociable addition to their new home.

Kunekune pigs were originally kept by New Zealand Maoris and, although the smallest domesticated breed of pig in the world, people can underestimate how large they can grow.

Potential owners also need to have the relevant holding licence to keep them.

RSPCA chief inspector Lindsey Avery said: “It has been a great outcome for this rehoming as we know it is a big commitment to keep pigs like these. They can live a long time and people sometimes don’t take into account that they are not going to stay small forever.

"Now Smokey and Haggis have got lots of land and an owner who has researched the breed. She is really committed to providing them with a good home.”

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