After being rescued from the streets of Sydney's west, this young pig has a grand name, Pablo Pigcasso, an open paddock to forage in and a shot at fame across Canberra's north.
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Blacktown pound tracked down his owners who had abandoned Pablo after finding he was not a miniature pig as they had believed.
Little Oak Sanctuary near Canberra has claimed and named him, as they do with other pigs that have outgrown ignorant owners. They shelter abused battery hens, turkeys, sheep and two Clydesdale horses, Percival and Clancy.
Like his namesake, Pablo has internationally recognised patrons and a wide canvas, which he uses to promote animal protection.
Animal protection institute Voiceless, with patrons that include former High Court judge Michael Kirby and novelist John M. Coetzee, has awarded Little Oak Sanctuary $15,000 for a public awareness campaign.
The grant has enabled Little Oak to cover an ACTION bus with images of Pablo and the other animals from the sanctuary to spread awareness about cruelty in factory farming.
Sanctuary vice-president Kate Luke said Pablo arrived weighing about 29 kilograms. He was desexed and had an abscess removed from his neck, and now he eats lucerne chaff, cracked corn, sunflower seeds, barley and soy meal and will grow to about 100 kilograms.
Ms Luke said because they were intelligent, heavy and strong, pigs became a handful.
'There is actually no such thing as miniature pigs in Australia,'' she said.
''A lot of people take these gorgeous little piglets, but it leads to a lot of big pigs needing a home later on when people lose interest.
''The saying 'pig-headed' has a foundation, they are quite determined creatures.
''They can be a handful and people don't realise, they think it is just like having a dog. They have a lot of dog-like qualities, but are quite different.''
A registered charity with about 1800 followers on Facebook, Little Oak Sanctuary has eight hectares of land. It turns away animals, particularly roosters, because demand is so high, organises working bees and fund-raising to help pay for food and veterinary bills.
Some animals are rehomed, provided the new owners meet Little Oak's criteria.
The sanctuary's president James Luke ruled out free-range pig producers.
''At the end of the day, they could still be killed. They all want to live as much as we do.''
So Pablo will stay put.
''He will follow you around. He loves people,'' Ms Luke said.
''I always like to make names that will resonate and connect with people and draw them into the animal story and learn more about the animals.''
Two 300-kilogram English large white pigs Dr Seuss and Heavenly Hiraani Tiger live at the sanctuary, with Ernie, an overgrown turkey whose unnatural weight gain has handicapped his mobility and claimed the life of his mate, Bert.
