Everything’s just swine and dandy

Northeast neighbors enjoy the antics of a family pet Ñ Mooshe, the potbellied pig

By Jill Spitznass

The Portland Tribune, Dec 21, 2004, Updated Oct 30, 2009

They flock from all over tony Irvington to see him. And why not? He’s macho, he’s single, and he’s just dropped 25 unsightly pounds Ñ though he could certainly lose a few more.

But Mooshe isn’t just any porky playboy. The star of the neighborhood is a 14-year-old potbellied pig, whose good nature and unexpected residence have attracted legions of fans over the years.

Mooshe holds court from the verdant corner of a double lot owned by David and Jeanne Pace, who keep a small menagerie at their home at Northeast 18th Avenue and Tillamook Street, just blocks from bustling Northeast Broadway. Two beehives, exotic chickens, a dog and Mooshe call the lush lot home, though the number of fowl is diminishing.

“We’re down to four chickens now; a raccoon got one last night,” says David Pace, a retired pastor and Oregon Episcopal School teacher.

Mooshe’s early days were considerably easier.

“We got him from a breeder when he was just a wee, tiny thing,” Pace says, holding his hands about 10 inches apart to illustrate Mooshe’s piglet dimensions. “It was a big trend; everyone was getting them. He lived in the house for a while and was house-trained in nothing flat.

“But then Ñ like everyone else who got a potbellied pig Ñ we found out what a handful they are. They’re too smart, and food is very important to them.”

It became clear to the Paces that a clever brain and a dexterous snout are a volatile combination in the animals, which can live up to 20 years.

“One night, Mooshe opened a drawer and spilled a gallon of canola oil,” Pace recalls. “It was all over the kitchen and he had the runs for a week.”

The last straw in Mooshe’s indoor lifestyle came soon after.

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