This Little Piggy Went to Greener Pastures: The True Story of How Kindness Saved a Little Pig

Dear readers, meet Dinkey, the potbellied pig with one hell of a story. Destined for an early date with the great beyond, the mysterious powers of fate and chance led Dinkey to Diane Dieterich, owner of Greener Pastures, the farm sanctuary in Arroyo Grande giving neglected animals set for slaughter a second chance at a prosperous life.

It’s no secret that Dinkey is the star of the farm sanctuary. Her story is one fit for the big pig screen. Or, if we’re starting small: a children’s book. Which is exactly why Dieterich and her team wrote Dinkey: The True Story of How Kindness Saved a Little Pig. Written by Dieterich and Bridget Forrest and illustrated by Samantha Buck, the trials and tribulations of Dinkey – a pig destined to live – comprise a story illustrating how kindness can quite literally save a life.

When Dinkey’s home was lost to a wildfire, she was found scared, severely sunburned, and morbidly obese — with a belly that dragged on the ground and fat rolls so bad they rendered her blind. She was in such a distressed state that the shelter she was taken to wanted to euthanize her. Until Dieterich took her in. With some serious TLC, and a top-of-the-line face-lift from UC Davis, Dinkey’s life took a major 180.

Diane explains: “This pig would have been euthanized just because she looked a certain way. But through kindness and willingness to step in, we helped, and her life completely turned around.”

Dinkey lost over 100 pounds, can see again, and waddles around with her cross-species best friend Kip the Cat, who plays a supporting role in the book.

Diane hopes that Dinkey’s book will inspire others to be kind, both in the way we act with each other, but also how we act with the animals we meet in our lives.

Diane puts it simply: “It’s not hard to show kindness.”

The Rascal’s and Greener Pastures Collab

Greener Pastures’ mission is one that is close to Chef Dalan Moreno’s heart. Owner of Rascal’s on Haley Street, Moreno has been vegan for over 20 years, and uses his restaurant to dispel the myth that vegan food has to be just cold tofu and sprouts. His fresh and exciting takes on authentic Mexican street food has caught the tastebuds of many, with Rascal’s recently listed as one of 2024’s best new vegan restaurants in America by VegOut Magazine.

Dalan tells me about when he first started the pop up a few years ago, and how important it was for him when the community gave him a helping hand. Now that he’s had his own restaurant for over a year, he wants to pay it forward.

“When I opened my brick and mortar, I wanted to give back to the community in that same way. It takes a community to be successful. I want to build up other people. It’s a constant circle of supporting each other.”

To celebrate this joint dedication of assisting animals, Moreno will be hosting Greener Pastures at his restaurant to help raise awareness for the farm sanctuary’s mission. And just in time for the holidays, Greener Pastures will have copies of their new children’s book for sale.

So join Rascal’s and Greener Pastures on Sunday, December 15, from 10 am – 1 pm, where Dieterich will be set up outside the restaurant to sell copies of their new book, as well as spread the good the word about the farm. Buy a book, try the Dinkey Special, have a fine swine time, and support a good hog cause! And as an added bonus you can enter a small raffle for a chance to pig out on some epic prizes, with proceeds going directly to the sanctuary.

So, what’s next for Dinkey? Will there be more adventures? Daring Dinkey Goes to the Dentist? She’s already had a facelift, why not get those piggly pearly whites worked on too? After what Dinkey’s been through, we understand if she wants to close the pig pen early and take a much-needed cat nap with her ol’ pal Kip. See you at Rascal’s!