'Party pig' Rex recovering after dog attack

A 10-month-old pot-bellied pig who loves dogs, children, and country music is recovering after he was attacked in the woods outside his home in Prince George.

He loves to be around big crowds and lots of music.- Dayna Denman

Dayna Denman has had Rex since November 2015. 

"He's very loving and social," she said of her pet. "He loves to be around big crowds and lots of music, anything loud," adding his preferred genre is country.

Rex's social attitude was put to work by the Prince George Humane Society. Until his accident, he was invited to birthday parties to teach children about different kinds of animals.

"He loves kids," Denman says of Rex's party gigs. "As soon as you turn the music on he'll start wagging his tail. He just perks right up."

Attacked by dogs while grazing

Denman was on her way to work on July 18 when she let Rex outside to graze on their rural property northeast of Prince George. Normally Rex sticks close to the house and her boyfriend was inside, so she didn't think much of it until Rex didn't come home.

"My boyfriend went out to go call him, and Rex normally comes running as soon as he hears your voice," she said. "He looked for a few hours; he couldn't find him; he didn't know where he was out."

Denman returned home to join the search when she received a message from a neighbour informing her Rex had been attacked by dogs in some nearby woods.

"Her boyfriend heard him [Rex] screaming, so he went down there, and there was two large dogs after him," Denman said. The neighbour chased the dogs away and stayed with Rex until Denman was able to rush her pet to the vet.

"I just kind of had to keep blowing in his face and playing with his mouth and trying to keep him awake on the ride over." 

Ears lost, tendons ruptured, but in good spirits

​Rex was in shock, and severely wounded.

He's been in the veterinary clinic for three weeks, and will have to be there for at least two more as he recovers. One leg is in a splint, and he's having to relearn to walk after tendons in other legs were ruptured.

Rex also lost both his ears, but still enjoys music.

"The girls here at the clinic actually leave the music on all night for him so he has something to listen to," Denman laughed.

She doesn't blame the dogs' owners for the attacks, but she hopes the incident will serve as a reminder for pet owners— no matter the species— to supervise their four-legged friends.

As for Rex, Denman says though he is physically injured, his fun-loving spirit is fully recovered.

"He's loving all the attention, he's soaking it all up, and he's got more than his appetite back. He's eating everything in sight."

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