Kevin Bacon is the “world’s greatest pet,” according to owner Dr. Kate McLellan, assistant professor in the Faculty of Sciences. Kevin was “our iconic neighborhood pet,” said alumna Manda Nielson.
Sadly, Kevin Bacon is now in “hog heaven,” said McLellan. Kevin passed away on Nov. 20, 2021. On Feb. 4, 2022, he would have had his golden birthday, McLellan explained. She and her family found Kevin Bacon at a pop up stand on the side of the road in Temecula, California, and McLellan said she immediately thought, “This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Emotionally, McLellan said, her favorite memory of Kevin was “he and I would cuddle every night.” When the children went to bed and the house became quiet, Kevin would go to the kitchen rug and wait for her, McLellan shared. “He was my guy. He was my shadow. He followed me everywhere. He was my pig, and I was his human. We were bonded.”
Kevin Bacon was a type of domestic pig breed known as the Juliana pig, which is “the Chihuahua of pigs,” explained McLellan. This breed is also known as a Micro, Mini or Teacup Pig, said McLellan. When Kevin passed away, he weighed nearly 200 pounds, she added.
However, “pigs grow for 5 years,” said McLellan, so Kevin still was not done growing when he passed away at the age of 3.
Kevin Bacon got his name originally because the McLellan family loved the actor Kevin Bacon, said McLellan. At first, the breeders told them Kevin was a male. After looking at pig anatomy, however, McLellan was unsure, so she took Kevin to the vet where the vet informed them Kevin was actually a female, said McLellan.
“He’s a girl. Kevin Bacon is a girl,” said Nielson.
When McLellan found this out she said, “Okay, one, good. Two, I’m right.” In the long run, this was good for the McLellans because male pigs need their tusks shaved regularly and the neutering process is more invasive, said McLellan.
She added they decided to keep the name Kevin and the pronouns he/him. McLellan related their experience to the character Kevin from the movie “Up.” Kevin is a bird everyone thinks is a male but ends up being a female, explained McLellan.
Additionally, “Kevin’s personality was kind of like toxic masculine,” and Kevin was a little overbearing, brutish and aggressive, said McLellan. She said the name “Kevin works on so many levels.”
McLellan said taking care of Kevin was not easy, and most pigs are not easy pets either. She said, “80 percent [of pigs] end up in the pound.” They take a lot of effort and work, said both Nielson and McLellan. But, “We were buddies,” said McLellan.
Holland Barker, a junior from Eagle, Idaho, majoring in communications, spent most Sundays at the McLellans’ home with friends. Barker said her favorite memory of Kevin was when he bit one of her friends, and for the rest of the evening they each sat with their feet off the ground. Kevin was “a staple and a big part of every Sunday,” said Barker.
McLellan said Kevin’s Instagram handle is: @my.pig.is.a.jerk, and people can still follow the account.
Nielson said, “His [Kevin’s] two main life passions and motives were food and sleep.” She said her favorite memory of Kevin was when they let Kevin outside to roam but forgot about him until they got a phone call from the neighbor, explaining they saw Kevin on the side of Kamehameha Highway. “Not chickens crossing the road, just a giant pig,” said Nielson.
Whenever it rained, Kevin would go play in the mud, Nielson added. However, Kevin is an indoor pig so they would have to hose him off before letting him in, she explained. Whenever they hosed him off, “You just hear the most grotesque sound. It sounded like animal torture, but it’s just Kevin,” said Nielson. “With any pet, they’re always a member of the family; and losing a pet is hard.
“Kevin was just a part of the family and honestly a greater part of the community,” said Nielson. He was like a “sense of home,” she added.
Kevin even became part of the Laie Tram Tour, explained Nielson. When they would drive by, you could hear on the microphone: “‘Here is our iconic neighborhood pet, Kevin Bacon.’”
Nielson also said Kevin would go to children’s birthday parties and the school for “show-and-tell.” A couple days after Kevin passed, students and teachers at Laie Elementary School decorated a 10-foot banner with signatures to show their love and support after the family’s loss, shared Nielson.
“We we miss Kevin Bacon. It’s definitely been different since he’s been gone, but I know he’s always in our hearts. Especially for the people who are close to him,” said Nielson.