Baxter's story (formerly “Linas”) is much the same as it is with the majority of the potbelly pigs that come through the gates at the RASTA sanctuary.  Baxter originally came from yet another potbelly pig breeder in Alberta, this time in Airdrie who sold him to a family in Okotoks.  Shortly after, the family realized that they were unable to provide Baxter with the care that he needed and so they re-sold him to a couple that lived in an apartment in Calgary.  Four days later, he was surrendered to RASTA after his last home declared that an apartment was no place for a pig and they couldn’t believe that breeders would market these animals as “apartment pets”!!

Baxter’s former guardians were adamant about their young piglet not being turned into a corpse on someone’s plate and thus were very happy to have found the RASTA Sanctuary where he would be able to live the rest of his life among many other pig friends, root up the earth, wallow in the mud, bury himself in straw and live like a real pig.  Although Baxter’s former family claimed that they would help out with the costs associated with his lifelong care, we unfortunately never heard from them again.