Firefighters at Engine Company 239 in Brooklyn have removed pork from their firehouse menu after the arrival of their unofficial mascot, Penny the Fire Pig. The adorable pink mini pig spends his guardian’s fortnightly 24-hour shifts sniffing around the firehouse, sleeping and greeting neighborhood children.
Darren Harris originally adopted Penny from a farm in Virginia in 2021 for his seven-year-old daughter. Since then, Penny has also been embraced by her entire firehouse and surrounding community, who often stop by to take her picture or just say hello.
Harris’ colleague and fellow firefighter James McCourt described Penny as “easier to train than a dog.” Harris agrees with Pig’s view:
Their brain power, they go up to four years or five years of intelligence. So they are smarter than dogs, many say.
When she’s not on duty at the firehouse, Penny spends her days relaxing in the backyard of the Harrises’ home in Middletown, New York.
Pigs are really amazing! They have been successfully trained to play video games and have excellent object-location memory. Pigs form strong bonds with each other. Mother pigs sing to their young as they call and use a separate call for each of their newborn piglets, who recognize their specific calls and rush to their mothers.
But pigs don’t have to go to people’s homes or workplaces to prove that they are people worthy of care and respect. As the philosopher Jeremy Bentham said, “The question is not whether they can because? No, they can talk? But, they can to suffer?”
Want to take a stand for pigs and other farm animals? Level up your breakfast with these six delicious vegan bacon brands and our free download How to eat vegetables Guide for more plant based tips and tricks.