The only dedicated pet pig rescue in the country has been forced to close its doors to new animals, due to a threefold increase in the number of unwanted and abandoned pigs they are caring for.
My Lovely Pig Rescue in Co Meath now cares for 150 pigs, up from 50 a year ago, and said there needs to be regulation of the pet pig breeding industry, as many owners eventually find they cannot care for the animals.
Farm supervisor Tara Daly said "there was a Covid pet pig phenomenon".
"A lot of people maybe had more time at home and decided 'let's get some pigs for pets', because we have had a lot of cases in the last year of the abandonment of the pet pig-type breeds."
Throughout the last 12 months, Tara and her colleagues took in all the abandoned and unwanted pigs that they could, including 31 pigs that they were notified about by the Department of Agriculture.
Half of those 31 were abandoned in a forest in Co Cavan. It has now led to the situation where the farm is at capacity and requests for rescue are reluctantly turned away."
This time last year we had somewhere between 50 and 60 pigs but now we are looking at just over 150 pigs, so our numbers have tripled in 12 months.
"It is always difficult to decide, you want to say yes all the time, but you have to take into account the animals that are already in your care and make sure you are providing a good standard for them."
The rescue also has to take account of heating, feed and veterinary costs for the pigs, all of which mount up. It is under the ambit of the better known and larger My Lovely Horse Rescue which provides some backup to the operation. But there is a constant need for money.
"There is no specific public funding for pig rescue, as there is for horse rescue or dog rescue, and it takes a lot of hard work on fundraising and a lot of people being very generous and donating every month.
"But it is a slog, with everything from table quizzes to bag packing at the weekend in supermarkets. Every euro counts."
Part of the problem is the lack of regulation surrounding pet pig breeding and the fact the animals are legally considered livestock in Ireland.
"The pet pig industry is an industry and as such needs to be regulated. There are a lot of people breeding pigs for the pet industry because there is a market there for them. There is no distinction in the law between pet pigs and livestock.
"All pigs are classed as livestock so there is no regulation of pet pigs. There is no education there for people and people can just breed pigs and sell them and it is a bit of a free for all really. Anyone can buy a pet pig without any experience."
My Lovely Pig Rescue does try and find homes for the pigs, but they are very clear that training for prospective owners is needed.
"People may be a little naive when they get them because a lot of people don't know what goes into caring for pigs. If anyone is going to adopt a pig from us, we will always do training for them and make sure they are totally prepared for what they are getting into."
