National Pig Day 2011: Celebrate March 1 (PHOTOS)

Happy National Pig Day!

Today is the time to give thanks to our porcine friends. Started by sisters Ellen Stanley and Mary Lynne Rave in 1972, National Pig Day is "to accord the pig its rightful, though generally unrecognized, place as one of man's most intellectual and domesticated animals," according to Rave.

Instead of chowing down on some pork, we here at HuffPost Green recommend celebrating National Pig Day by...well...not eating them! Instead, you could help support an organization that cares for abandoned pigs, like Pigs Animal Sanctuary or Pig Pals Sanctuary, or a pig adoption organization like Pig Placement Network. You could even send an adorable e-card to your friends to spread the piggy love. If you do find yourself extremely hungry on this National Pig Day though, you could always ditch the bacon and grab some free pancakes since today is also IHOP's National Pancake Day.

Check out these adorable photos of pigs, and vote for your favorite!

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LANGENHORN, GERMANY - JANUARY 13: Young pigs are seen in their pen at the Ebsen organic farm on January 13, 2011 in Langenhorn, Germany. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)

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LANGENHORN, GERMANY - JANUARY 13: Young pigs are seen in their pen at the Ebsen organic farm on January 13, 2011 in Langenhorn, Germany. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)

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Comments

[Eloise Stikeman]

11:11 AM on 04/10/2011

It would seem a holiday meant to draw attention to one of "man's most intellectual and domesticated animals" ought to at least acknowledge the conditions in which the majority of them are raised for human consumption. A single image capturing a shed full of gestation crates is all that would be necessary, for the stark contrast to the other photographs included would speak for itself.

It seems odd not to reference the reality of how pigs live in our societies today, when the purpose of the holiday is allegedly to celebrate pigs lives in our societies today.

An opportunity wasted.

[hornedcog]

02:27 PM on 03/05/2011

I like photo #6 the best. We have raised pot bellies from very young and they are very affectionate. The pig in this picture is a happy critter. Peccaries are completely different from pigs anatomically. They belong to a different genus.

[satanlite]

01:28 PM on 03/04/2011

My favorite is the one named BACON!!!

[KarlaElisa]

10:11 PM on 03/02/2011

This is an American thing, right?

[DanoX]

09:46 PM on 03/02/2011

How bizarre. I had trukey bacon this morning instead of real bacon for no particular reason. Now I know why, the little piggies were calling out for just one day off!

[Derek Lantin]

07:55 PM on 03/02/2011

Sir

My apologies in advance, but I cannot resist asking a question.

Is the National Pig Day motto “STAND BY YOUR HAM”.

Sincerely, Derek Lantin. http://dereklantin.booksabuzz.com

[Genders]

03:17 PM on 03/02/2011

Domesticated pigs kill millions of people world wide every year from the new virus they bread with humans and birds. If you have a pet pigs, you should keep it away from any contact with wild birds, not easy. Better just to stop eating pigs altogether, and stop domesticating them.

[butchcliff]

07:05 PM on 03/02/2011

This must be some new virus. I raised 7 or 8 pair of piggies..on the opposite side of a small
barn with 30 or so laying hens, some ducks & pheasants. They weren't pets, but I or a
family member was in contact with them everyday. Nobody died or even got sick
as I recall. There were lots of wild birds around & the poultry we allowed to free range.
I just not sure how factful your statement is. Pigs had a large outside area as well.

[Genders]

07:16 PM on 03/02/2011

Swine flu ring a bell? Probably if a few thousands of folks had birds and birds cohabitating it would be a rare problem, but billions of people are doing it.

[FTracy3]

09:05 AM on 03/02/2011

mmmm.....bacon!

[barkingcat]

09:03 AM on 03/02/2011

Where's the picture of the one in the wellies?

(Thanks to the Onion News.)

[butchcliff]

05:55 AM on 03/02/2011

Pigs are fun, very intelligent & utile. I've raised many pairs. Pioneers (& I) used to
fence off a piece of land readied for clearing, & let the pigs at it. When the pigs had
done their job, the land would be ready for farming. They'd dig the entire area up,
roots & all.

[amber15]

02:47 AM on 03/02/2011

such adorable animals.....

Here's another sanctuary I donate to that could use some help:

http://pigspeace.org/main/index.html

[Stephen G Ford]

10:50 PM on 03/01/2011

The "Meishan pigs" in the #15 pic are a couple of REAL good lookin' fellers!!! *GRIN*

And as for them SMELLING... they REALLY don't smell that bad if you keep them BATHED and CLEAN! And they can learn to use a litter box! (Of course having a FULL SIZE pig may be a little bid difficult if you are limited in your space) but there ARE miniature breeds!

[janedoe31]

09:38 PM on 03/01/2011

luv the photos. when i was 8 or 9 years old my dad bought my sister each a little piglet.........smart, clean and loyal, lovable......and soooooooooo cute

[HarryP]

09:37 PM on 03/01/2011

Picture 5: repugnican'ts on the breast of the Koch Brothers

[HarryP]

09:34 PM on 03/01/2011

Oh shoot, and I have Pork Tenderloin for dinner tonight, Sorry piggy