These days, Instagram accounts for animals are popping up all over the place. And it makes sense why — in a grim landscape like modern-day social media, we need all the positivity that our furry, scaly, silly animal friends can provide us.
The recent influx of social media superstar animals makes it hard to pick a favorite, but PETA decided to give it a shot this year. The organization's Libby Awards introduced a new category to honor the Best Animal Influencer who promoted animal rights.
The inaugural pick for Best Animal Influencer is Esther the Wonder Pig. Esther was adopted as a piglet and sold as a "micro-pig." Despite that, she grew to full size, weighing 600 pounds by the age of 3. Her owners built her a social media following and have encouraged many to go vegan in the process. Esther even has her own New York Times best-selling book! She's overcome a great deal and become an inspiration to so many.
Esther the Wonder Pig has led a remarkable life.
Esther was a tiny thing when she was adopted by her owners, Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter.
According to Insider, she weighed just 4 pounds and was identified as a micro-pig when Steve and Derek first brought her home in 2012.
It wasn't long before Steve and Derek realized that she wasn't staying as small as originally promised.
A lot goes into raising a pig of Esther's size and stature. But for Esther's dads, getting rid of her was never an option.
Steve and Derek's experience raising Esther changed their lives. They opened Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary.
There are three books about Esther's story. The first was Esther the Wonder Pig: Changing the World One Heart at a Time. The book details how Steve and Derek's lives were changed by Esther. The book was a New York Times best seller.
The popularity of that book turned Esther into a social media star.
Since then, two other books about Esther have been written.
The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig is a children's picture book about Esther. Happily Ever Esther: Two Men, a Wonder Pig, and Their Life-Changing Mission to Give Animals a Home is a memoir of Steve and Derek's experiences opening the sanctuary.
Unfortunately, Esther's family had a scare in the fall of 2017. Some health issues landed the beloved pig in the hospital. Her owners quickly learned that there weren't many options to help her because she wasn't legally considered a pet, but a "food animal."
As a result, Esther couldn't be transported from her home in Canada to the United States, which had the machinery necessary to check her for various health concerns. She also wasn't eligible for certain medications that government regulations ban "food animals" from using.
Esther's dads worked hard in collaboration with the Ontario Veterinary College to raise money to purchase the machine, which was easier than transporting Esther to somewhere where she could receive treatment.
Raising the money for the machine was no easy feat, but it turned out to be a lifesaving decision for Esther. A scan revealed a cancerous lump, which was then removed.
Thankfully, Esther was declared cancer-free in September!
On top of that, the CT scanner her dads crowdfunded now helps all types of large animals throughout Canada get better health care.
Esther has truly changed the world and touched the hearts of so many, one oink at a time.
