'Her memory and legacy will live forever': Esther the Wonder Pig passes away
Esther the Wonder Pig, the celebrity swine who played an integral role in advancing veterinary care in Guelph, has passed away.
Esther’s owners made the announcement on Facebook Wednesday.
“Even though Esther is no longer physically with us, her memory and legacy will live forever. Esther is immortal, and we will continue to show the world that all animals deserve to be loved just like she was,” read the post.
Esther the Wonder Pig is shown in this photo from the Esther the Wonder Pig Facebook page.Esther, from Campbellville, became a local star over the past few years. While she’s often recognized for her size of more than 600 lbs., her impact on the community was just as big.
She dealt with a number of health complications, including breast cancer, which led to a new initiative to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned and abused farm animals.
Esther also helped raise money to bring Canada’s first equine CT scanner to the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. The scanner was used to find diseases and abnormalities in horses and other large animals.
Esther is seen in this photo on the Facebook page 'Esther the Wonder Pig.' (Facebook)
The Wonder Pig’s contributions were made into a New York Times best-selling book and even caught the attention of celebrity comedian Ricky Gervais and environment activist Greta Thunberg.
Her owners said in the post about her passing that she was calm and peaceful when it happened and she fell asleep with her dad Steve by her side.
They also shared gratitude for all the love over the years.
She has more than a million followers her social media accounts, proving that Esther was no ordinary pig.
PETA sent CTV News a statement following the news of Esther the Wonder Pig’s passing.
“Esther’s story of being adopted and moving her dads to go vegan and open a farmed-animal sanctuary inspired countless people to see pigs as individuals,” said Ingrid Newkirk, PETA’s president. “The world is a far kinder place because she was in it, and she’ll always be PETA’s ‘Best Animal Influencer’ for winning everyone over with her personality, charm, and loving bond with her family—and for showing that she, like all pigs, was a living, feeling being, not bacon.”
Esther earned the title of Best Animal Influencer in 2018, at the 13th annual Libby Awards.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.