Fit as a fiddle: Kevin Bacon the pot-bellied pig almost back to his old self after accident
Kevin Bacon, or Kevy B as his friends and family call him, is back on his feet and loving life again.
The two-year-old pot-bellied pig was involved in a motor vehicle accident in the spring that left him partially paralyzed.
Through community fundraising efforts, his owners Carrie Rhindress-Frenette and Steve Frenette got him a wheelchair this summer and he's learned to use it quite well.
“I think he just brings joy to people when he goes and visits and they get to pet him and give him treats,” said Rhindress-Frenette from her home and business in Upper Nappan, N.S.
“He's seen around town at the local businesses. So he's become kind of, I don't know, maybe a little bit of therapy for people.”
Over the past five months, Kevy -- all 125 lbs of him -- has obtained celebrity status and a lot of media attention.
Schools and organizations have reached out to see if he’s ready to make visits again like he did before the accident, but Carrie and her husband Steve are keeping Kevy’s public appearances to a minimum for now.
“In town, he's a bit of a celebrity. We have a hard time fitting all of his stuff in. Now that he's able to get around a little easier, it's easier for us to take him places,” said Rhindress-Frenette.
Kevy was also involved in the America's Greatest Pet competition. While he didn't win, he fared well in the online voting and made it to the quarter-finals in his category.
Other than being paralyzed in the back and hind legs, he's fit as a fiddle.
“He has a healthy appetite, he doesn't take any medications. He eats just as much as he used to. We have to watch that because where he's not as mobile we don't want him to gain too much weight and become overweight,” she said.
But he does miss getting out and about and visiting his fans, so Kevy went door-to-door on Halloween.
“Everybody was so excited to see Kevin. What would normally take a person five seconds to go down a street and do their trick or treating it took Kevin 25 minutes because everybody wanted to stop and say hello and take his picture,” said Rhindress-Frenette.
Kevin Bacon’s next public appearance will be Saturday night when he will be part of the Park Your Paws float in the Amherst Christmas Parade which starts at 6 p.m.
Follow Kevy B’s adventures on the "Chronicles of Kevin Bacon" Facebook page.
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