Leonardo da Vinci, the 100-pound pot-bellied pig, finds new forever home in Farnham, Que.

It's not just dogs and cats that have found forever homes during the pandemic; a 100-pound pot-bellied pig named Leonardo da Vinci is also getting settled in with a new owner after the SPCA Montrgie featured him as its pet of the week.

Leo was handed over to the SPCA last November after his previous owners had a baby and ran out of room for the hog.

"He's a great, great pet, and he's friendly," SPCA Montrgiedirector Linda Robertson told Quebec AM. "Pigs love companionship, he loves to have his stomach rubbed, he likes his treats, his vegetables, and his fruit."

Robertson recounted that in Leo's three months at the shelter, he'd thieve blankets from the dog pens and get excited when he knew the staff was making the rounds with treats.

The three-year-old porker is fully house trained, and even walks with a leash.

"They're very intelligent animals and very aware of their surroundings," Robertson said.

For months, Robertson and the SPCA staff worked to find Leonardo the perfect new home.

"We're very cautious where they go to ensure they go to the right place," Robertson said. "These are not toys, they're living beings."

Leo and new owner destined to find each other

Anne Casey used to have two pigs: Peggy and Chorizo.

But when house renovations made it impossible to care for them, she had to find them a new home.

By the time she could handle having pigs again, Peggy and Chorizo had been gone so long, she didn't want to disrupt their lives by taking them back.

Then, the pandemic hit, and Casey wanted another pet.

She figured she'd find a small dog, but when the shelter website featured Leo, she knew it was meant to be.

"Having a pet pig is perfect, and I'm used to it," Casey said. "I'm used to having pigs, so I wouldn't know what to do with a dog or a cat."

Still, despite her experience, Casey said she and Leo are taking their time getting into a routine at his new home in Farnham, Que.

Something of a night owl,Casey's new housemate keeps waking her up at twoo'clock in the morning.

"And he doesn't want to go back to bed until I give him a snack," she said. "So that's part of our routine, it's like having a baby."

With a few exceptions, Casey feeds Leo much of what she feeds herself.

"Leo is a pig, and he likes to eat everything," she said. "He could eat forever."

She said his thieving tendencies from the shelter have carried over to her home. One of the first times she left him alone, he opened the fridge door, pulled out the drawers, emptied nearly all the contents, and had himself a feast.

"When I came back, he had eaten a five-pound bag of carrots, a McCain cakeand a roasted chicken," Casey said. "He even found the sauce for the chicken."

"It was not a good day for me, it was a mess in my place, but the next day I can laugh about it," she added. "That's the funny part of having a pig, that's the way it is."

She said as much as she loves having pet pigs, there's a lot of research that goes into it, from diet, to hoof and tusk maintenance.

"It's not meant for everyone," she said. "You have to be gentle with them like very, very gentle they're scared of everything, and we have to prepare for that."

"A pig is not like a dog," she said.

Some day, Casey would like to provide zoo therapy with Leonardo da Vinci, as she did with her previous pigs.