Ernie

Ernie is the first SCAMPS piggie to be added to this site, who has sadly left us for to rainbow bridge.
Below you will find the text Luita has written for him to inform all GPDD-people that he had left us for the rainbow bridge...

"Hello, GPDD friends,
I am very, very sad to report that my piggie companion Ernie has died. He was an elderly pig, six years old, but full of vim up until the very last. He was fully grown when we adopted him in May 2003 from the Berlin Animal Shelter, where he had been taken after being found abandoned in a park on a very cold morning in February, so his age is a guess. We think that Ernie had been abused, because while he was a very good cuddler, and often fell asleep on my lap, he remained distrustful of humans throughout his life. He was not a real "biter", because he was careful never to break flesh, but he would snap if he felt at all threatened. He was quite frightened of children, and we came to believe that he was perhaps bought as a "pocket pet", was mishandled by a child, defended himself, and then was left to freeze, starve or be eaten. Nevertheless, he came to largely trust both me and my partner, and especially loved napping in the lap of my purple bathrobe while I worked on the computer. He greatly enjoyed floortime, and was an expert at finding hidden treats. His favorite game in the world was to toss away a small plastic bowl to find the piece of cucumber hidden underneath.

He began to fail after suffering a split tooth earlier this month, despite the very best efforts of our excellent vet (who, when we both had to be away one weekend, actually took him home with her). This same vet gave him the gentle release he needed when it was clear that there was no hope, and he died in the arms of my grieving partner.

Luita
and Bert"

Ernie reached the respectable age of 6 years old.