Flavia and Phryne have spent their entire lives together, though they weren't always able to see each other. Adopted by a well-meaning owner as babies, they lived as indoor pets until they grew bigger than their adopter had expected. Like so many pigs, they had been sold as "mini," "micro," or "teacup," pigs, with what we call their "greeder," claiming that they would remain small. Their owner did her best to accommodate them with limited resources and bought them a shed to live in, but when they squabbled, as pigs sometimes do, she had a barrier built to keep them separate. Flavia had access to a door; Phryne did not. Phryne spent her whole seven years of life never getting a chance to be outside, to feel the sun on her face, or to breathe fresh, clean air. 

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When their owner died unexpectedly, kind friends reached out to us to place these girls. When we arrived to pick them up, we found Phryne living in a deep pile of her own waste, and their interim "caretaker" began kicking her to get her to leave the only home she'd ever known. These two spent their first night with us in a deep bed of straw in the trailer we transported them in, snuggled as close together as they could get, far too afraid to step outside. The next morning they entered their new hut together, and for two weeks Phryne would not put a hoof outside. Flavia spent many weeks challenging us. sneaking up to goose us, and trying to figure out who was in charge in this new life she'd found herself in. A year and a half after arriving at Darrowby, Flavia and Phryne still do everything together; they sleep in a hut that no one else is allowed to enter, and they sunbathe and mudbathe side by side. Flavia still likes to know who's in charge, and she has assigned herself the role of Deputy Head Pig, reporting to The Empress, who is True Head Pig. When Flavia and The Empress lived in separate pastures, Flavia was Head Pig of her own herd, but the responsibility was stressful to her, and she made frequent bids to reassert her authority.

 

Now that she's accepted The Empress as her boss, Flavia lives her best life: she patrols the pasture, steps between pigs who might be about to squabble to redirect them, and has much more time to get tummy rubs. Phryne, who's never craved a seat of power, enjoys quiet naps, spends lots of winter days inside under a pile of straw, and lots of summer days in the shade. She's a quiet girl who will always be the one standing behind you when you least expect it, waiting patiently for a back scratch. Both girls have come so far from their old life, old trauma, and old fears. We are honored to be the ones to show them what it is to be loved, to be free, and to never have to be afraid.