Pig Named Pigcasso Paints $1,600 Artworks After Being Rescued From A Slaughterhouse

Sep 06, 2019

Some stories have unexpectedly happy endings. For Pigcasso, a happy ending didn't seem likely.

The pig was raised at a hog farm and destined for slaughter. Fate had other plans in store for her. Joanne Lefson created Farm Sanctuary SA, an animal rescue in South Africa. After founding the Cape Town sanctuary, Lefson visited a hog farm and rescued a few of the animals there. One of those animals was a very special pig.

Knowing how smart pigs are, Lefson provided the now-rescued piglet with a variety of toys. To the rescuer's surprise, the piglet chose a paintbrush. When given a canvas, the piglet amused herself by swishing the brush around it.

She quickly earned the name Pigcasso. As she grew, her fame did too.

People all around the world became fascinated with the painting pig. Buyers from as far away as New York began to offer money for Pigcasso's creations. Soon, businesses like Nissan came calling, interested in using Pigcasso in ad campaigns.

Her paintings continue to sell for around $1,600. The funds are put to good use. Lefson reinvests all the money back into Farm Sanctuary SA. It's only fitting -- Farm Sanctuary SA saved Pigcasso, and now Pigcasso is helping to save other animals by bringing in funding. “Pigcasso would have been a bacon sandwich at 6 months old,” Joanne Lefson of Farm Sanctuary SA told InsideEdition.com.

Lefson hopes people look at Pigcasso and begin to rethink their diets. Above all, she wants Pigcasso to inspire fans to be more compassionate and aware of how farm animals are treated.

What do you think about Pigcasso's work? Does seeing how intelligent pigs are make you reconsider what you eat?