I don't have an exhaustive list of all my pigs since 2003 so I am starting one now:
Lightning
Date of adoption: April 6, 2003--since I don't have a birthdate for him (his original family got him from a pet store) I estimate it as one year before his adoption.
My first pig, who started it all, adopted through GPAN (Guinea Pig Adoption Network, which is apparently inaccessible now. So named because of the white streak on his head which his original owner thought looked like a lightning bolt but I thought looked like a blob. He could move incredibly fast, though, and shit fast, too. He was supposedly one year old, his family had several other pets and no time for him. They lived in Manassas, Va.
Died February 11th, 2005. It was about three hours before my shift and less than 24 hours until I was supposed to work at a party. I cried all night at work but managed to pull myself together and stop crying by the time the party started. A good thing, as I was the entertainment.
Pippin/Thunder
Date of adoption: May 8, 2003--as with Lightning, the shelter didn't have an exact birthdate for him.
Adopted from the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. His age was estimated as one year but was probably younger as he had major expansion plans. I referred to him as "the incredible expanding pig." The adoption counselor admitted afterwards "I stink when it comes to guessing ages of pigs."
He was probably my biggest pig. I was told he was a gift to his original owners who gave him up because he was "so messy." Not sure if that was because they didn't like cleaning his cage or because he liked to lie in his own urine.
Note: His shelter name was Pippin but I changed it to Thunder when I adopted him because it went with Lightning. When Lightning died I changed it back to Pippin as I didn't want to name another pig Lightning.
Died August 14, 2008 (My birthday. That sucked.)
Pandora
