How Pet Pigs Can Support our Mental Health with Sanghi

Sanghi lives in the Bay Area, California with her husband and 2 mini pigs, named Poppy and Podrick. Poppy is 2.5 years old, and Podrick is 7 months old. Poppy arrived during a trying time in Sanghi's life, and Poppy has helped her overcome her depression and anxiety. Sanghi likes to share the joy Poppy and Podrick have brought her with the community. Aside from working as a respiratory therapist, Sanghi is also a yoga instructor and hosts an event called Yoga, Vino, & a Pig where she educates the community about mini pigs and yoga while raising money for local animal rescues.  Sanghi did a lot of research before she got Poppy so they could make sure they did everything they needed to before they got her. She reached out to many people with pigs to talk to and also purchased books to educate herself.  When they finally purchased Poppy in 2020 they had a hard time finding a direct flight from NY to CA so they would not have to do ground transportation to get Poppy to them. They eventually were able to find a flight to get Poppy out to them. When she first arrived she was very nervous and took a bit to adjust to her new surroundings. She has always been a cautious pig and is very particular. She is willing to do most anything for peanut butter. The biggest challenge to owning a pig is to realize that they are not a dog. They take time and since they learn very quickly you have to keep them busy and stimulated with activities and toys all the time. They decided to get a second pig because they wanted Poppy to have a companion because they are now expecting a baby. They are hoping that Poppy and Podrick become great friends before the baby is born so there is no competition to deal with having a new baby in the home. They have had Podrick since August so they are working on letting them bond and figure out their places in the home.  She started to battle with depression and anxiety much worse in 2020 and after she got Poppy she noticed a positive change in her mood. Poppy is able to tell what mood she is in and is able to hop into her lap and cuddle her and comfort her. This led to her therapist writing a letter to officially make Poppy her emotional support animal. She wants to share with the world how great of a pet a pig really is. Sanghi thinks that honestly without Poppy’s help she would not have been able to wean off of her medications.  Eventually Sanghi became a yoga instructor and has included pigs into her yoga events. The reason she got so passionate about this project is because she wants to be able to share the joy that Poppy and Podrick have brought her, with everyone else.  Autumn's Links: Website: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/ Email: Autumn@autumnacresminipetpigs.com Educational Membership Group: https://www.autumnacresminipetpigs.com/support-group-subscription/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnacresminipetpigs/  Facebook:  HTTP://Facebook.com/autumnacresminipetpigs Mighty Networks: https://autumn-acres-mini-pet-pigs.mn.co/share/EPW2Ie5isMX4T0Ve YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGue5Kp5AwOXkReCGPUyImA Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hDNizT Sanghi's Links: Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/yogionapole/ https://www.instagram.com/poppy.the.piggy/