Our beloved little cowboy said “Goodbye” and rode off into the sunset early in the morning on New Year’s Day 2015.
I received a call on New Year’s eve saying Jimmy was dying. This was a shock as I had just received a funny video of Jimmy doing what I called “house cleaning”. He had never looked better even though he was getting old in pig years.
He was such a good pig…he was clean, neat, and tidy.
He loved keeping everything of his very organized and in order. He treasured his blankets and comforters.
Jimmy D. had come to the Sanctuary after I had received a call from his human “Mommy” that she would like to place him at our Sanctuary. I drove down to visit Jimmy Dean where he walked around quaint tea tables and china without ever knocking anything over or breaking one tea cup. He eyed me as if he knew why I was there.
Did I mention how smart Jimmy Dean was? He was a brilliant boy and just a little bit on the naughty side when he didn’t like something or someone.
After our brief visit, he followed me to the porch as if to say I know I am leaving here and going with you. I asked his “Mommy” to bring him up to the Sanctuary so he knew it was his final home. He was brought to the Sanctuary and started right away to arrange his new pig pen and house with all his favorite blankets. He was very independent and liked to be the “only” pig in his pen. Other pigs were just too messy for him.
Jimmy Dean always lived by himself while the other pigs at the Sanctuary had room mates and pig pals.
After a brief time, several of the pot-bellied pigs, Aunt Bea, Annabelle, and C.B. Potts were moved to another large pen and a house big enough for all of them. Jimmy Dean moved into a much bigger house and pen which he really liked a lot.
He lived there until about eight months ago when he decided he really liked his Caretaker, Autumn Gold
. He adopted her for his new “Mommy” and moved down the hill right next to her “Autumn Gold” house with a wishing well in the yard.
She built him a stellar little place right next to her. Jimmy D. beamed and lit up because he became happier than he ever was as he now lived next to Autumn Gold. She made him special treats and food. When he would rub too hard on a post or wood and scratch his skin, she would rub him with coconut oil. He loved coconut oil to eat as a treat and to be rubbed on his skin so it wasn’t so itchy and dry.
She would make him gluten-free pancakes, vegetables, and lots of fruit like apples, oranges, and bananas. Jimmy Dean smiled all the time now because he had found “his special place” in his small world and in the “sunset” of his life.
He would wait and listen for Autumn Gold to come home in the evenings and then greet her as he waited for his scrumptious dinner. In the morning he would greet her with a smile waiting for his delicious breakfast of warm oatmeal.
I remember last summer when I would open my window just above his little house and his sun porch with a shade. I would see him laying there dozing in the warm sunlight on his black rug. I would say…I see “a Pigggggggggg” and he would gently grunt and acknowledge my words without ever lifting his head.
He had two special trees in his area and he would walk around his small yard and lay by each tree at different times of the day. He had to move fast enough to get his orange one day as it rolled down the hill which he did like the expert he was with his snacks. (See picture above)
On many nice days he would make the trek up to the front door of Autumn Gold’s round house and slowly position himself against the front door to lie in the sun.
One day the door accidently being slightly ajar, Jimmy realized that he could push the door on open and go in Autumn Gold’s round house which he did being the curious cowboy that he was. He helped himself to the garbage pail finding tasty morsels to snack on as he scattered coffee grounds around the floor.
Jimmy had the summer of his life this past year doing everything a pig might want to put on their bucket list.
When I saw the short video of him that Autumn Gold had sent me, I didn’t realize he was cleaning his little house for the last time and maybe trying to say goodbye as he was pulling his blankets and other personal memorabilia to close off the door to his little hut. He even lifted his little pig arm while adjusting everything sort of like a “goodbye wave”.
That night he didn’t come out for his dinner. Autumn Gold crawled back in to check on him since he never missed eating. She was very sad.
Right when his light was shining the brightest…Autumn Gold saw Jimmy’s light beginning to go out…
She thought…kind of like a shooting star.
The little cowboy’s star had still been bright earlier that day and then that night his star began to dim. Like a shooting star his light finally went out in the early morning hours before daylight known only to him.
We are glad he made it to the New Year of 2015…
Jimmy Dean was the “Sweetest little Cowboy we ever seen…our Jimmy Dean”. That is the song I always sang to him over almost 7 years. He loved that song.
We will miss your sweet smile Jimmy, your funny pig ways and most of all your presence in the little hut that sat snug and warm by the round house of Autumn Gold.
Thank you Autumn Gold for taking such loving care of the little cowboy, Jimmy Dean in the last year of his life at the Sanctuary…he will be missed by all of us.
JIMMY DEAN WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST STARS WHO LIVED AT THE ANIPAL SANCTUARY.
A Video of Jimmy just before he said “Goodbye”…
