Oakwood Creative Care is pleased to introduce Jorge (pronounced George) the Therapy Pig to the team! Jorge is a mini potbelly pig and belongs to our CEO, Sherri Friend. Jorge is a certified therapy pig through the American Mini Pig Association and brings tons of laughter, snorts, and entertainment to the staff and members of Oakwood.
Jorge attends Town Center at least one time a week depending on his mom’s schedule and loves to make visits to Red Mountain too! He is quickly becoming a local legend with visitors coming from all over just to meet him and being given opportunities to visit fire stations, City Hall, 911 operators, and classrooms all over the valley.
Here are a few questions we frequently get asked about Jorge:
How big will he get?
Anywhere from 50 to 100 pounds. Fact: It takes 5 years for a mini pig to be full grown and pigs are considered mini up to 300 pounds
How old is Jorge?
Jorge is 9 months old
Does Jorge go to a vet?
Only exotic animal vets treat mini pigs, so that is where Jorge goes
Does Jorge get along with dogs?
Jorge lives with a chihuahua and they are often found snuggling one another. The chihuahua actually is the one that taught Jorge how to climb the stairs.
Where does Jorge sleep?
At Sherri’s feet. Pigs are herd animals and like to sleep together, so that is where you will find Jorge!
It is always an adventure when Jorge is here providing joy to those around him! We have found at Oakwood that having a therapy dog come for an hour visit once a month doesn’t create a lasting bond for our members. So we have pushed the envelope by allowing staff to bring their trained pets with them to work in order to develop a deeper bond, increase staff satisfaction, and allow for longer levels of engagement with an animal!
