News of the Day

OINK — PIGGY PETUNIA SPREADS CHEER

by Craig Altschul

Kids on the Move, a children’s rehabilitation clinic in Rutland, welcomes a special visitor each Wednesday, says The Rutland Herald. Petunia, an 8-month-old Vietnamese potbellied pig, standing less than two feet tall and weighing 56 pounds, makes the rounds with the clinic’s occupational therapist, Karyn Kipp. She acts much like a dog wrapped in pigskin, jumping on furniture, walking on a leash, "wagging" her tail, and hanging around the kids waiting for a snack. But, when she comes to the clinic, it’s not who she is or isn’t, but what she does. Petunia brings joy to the kids and "…gets smiles from kids we generally get no response from," said office manager Debbie Chisholm. She doesn’t make a – pardon the pun – pig of herself, indulging only on carrots, which are allowed on her diet, and fed to her by the kids. This porker is a keeper.

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About Craig Altschul

Craig Altschul is Editorial Director of SnoCountry.com. He is a veteran snow journalist, having covered the sport for more than 40 years. His syndicated snow sports humor column, Ski Tips, ran in newspapers across the country for 20 years. He was Global Editor-in-Chief for OnTheSnow for 12 years and has written for a variety of magazines and newspapers. Altschul is past president of both the Eastern Ski Writers Association and the North American Snow Journalists Association.

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