Meet The Pig That Has Become the Highlight of Special Events

Have you ever thrown a party or a special event and thought to yourself, “This party is missing something"?

It was missing a pig.

You may have attended a children’s party where there was a petting zoo or a miniature horse doing laps in the backyard, but Gilbert the Party pig takes it to a new level.

He has made a name for himself among kids and adults for bringing life to any special event, and his owner, Michelle Burns, loves watching Gilbert shine.

The Family Behind Gilbert

Michelle Burns resides in Glastonbury, Connecticut with her family. A few years ago, thanks to the explore page on Instagram, she discovered there were people out there with pigs for pets.

“I couldn’t believe they had pigs in their house, and I didn’t realize how smart and cute they were,” she said. “I just thought they lived on a farm and that’s about it.”

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She began following these people online, and soon realized she wanted a pig of her own.

For her 40^th birthday, her husband gifted her a mini pig named Gilbert.

Gilbert the Mini-Pig, Ready to Party

A mini pig is not to be confused with a “teacup” or “micro” pig (which are actually not real animals).

“A mini-pig is any pig up to 300 pounds,” explained Burns. “If you compare them to a hog, those can be 500 to 800 pounds. (Gilbert) is about 140 pounds.”

And he’s 140 pounds of love and cuteness. Before Gilbert, Burns was a preschool teacher, but Gilbert quickly became the star of the show for Burns and her husband.

“Events with Gilbert started somewhat accidentally,” Burns said. “I did a favor for a fellow teacher when the kids were learning about pigs. ... I brought Gilbert, and long story short, he did wonderfully. I made a Facebook page for him and it blew up.”

Burns expected inquiries for Gilbert to be sparse, but these days, Gilbert the Party Pig is making stops at about six social events in one weekend.

He travels all over Connecticut, Massachusetts and beyond to bring life to any party.

So, What is it About Gilbert?

“It’s just something different,” Burns said. “He’s so calm and loveable, and he really loves the attention.”

Burns and her family plan on bringing another pig into the family in the near future, but for now, Gilbert remains the star of the show.

If you’re looking to wow your guests at your next gathering, give Gilbert the Party Pig a call.

Your guests will thank you.

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