Humorous and adorable: Pig kissing aspect of Lee’s Summit’s Pleasant Lea competition

Planting a wet one on a pig was just part of the job for Aaron Barnett. The Pleasant Lea Elementary School principal agreed to kiss Dudley, a 9-month old piglet, as a reward for his student, who collected $7,500 as part of the Lee’s Summit school’s read-a-thon fundraiser.

Kids asked friends, family and neighbors to sponsor them by paying a certain amount of money for the minutes they read in a two-week period. The money will go toward purchasing new books for every classroom at Pleasant Lea.

It’s not the first time Barnett has agreed to do something a little unusual to inspire kids. Sometimes, it’s taking a pie in the face. Another time, it might be standing on the school roof to welcome kids at school. The kids voted for this year’s pig-kissing.

“I knew the kids would love it. They’re still talking about it when I go through the lunchroom,” Barnett said.

Barnett grew up on a pig farm, so he’s very comfortable around the animals. And he doesn’t mind doing it at all. When he discovered the funds were just short of the goal, he sent a tongue-in-cheek email out to parents.

“I think we were $300 short, and I sent a parent newsletter saying, ‘You know what? I lucked out. We missed by 300, I don’t have to kiss a pig unless somebody make a last-minute donation.’ And then obviously, we had some parents that wanted to see it happen,” Barnett said.

Barnett said every kid participated at least a little bit. The school provided some reading periods at school to make sure everyone had a chance to participate.

The school holds a fundraiser every year, but it’s not always reading-based. Barnett said a previous one was a jog-a-thon, but because this year’s goal was to buy books, a read-a-thon felt appropriate.

When it came time to find the pig for the assembly, Barnett was surprised that he had trouble finding a local pig farmer to help provide the star of the show. He finally got connected with the non-profit Kansas City Pig Rescue Network, which was happy to bring Dudley along.

Angela Jones-Willey, who operates a foster pig farm in Cleveland, Missouri., said they’ve done similar appearances at other schools, including at least one in Lee’s Summit.

The kissing part of the assembly was “not as strange as you would think. The kids seem to really find that humorous and adorable and if the principal is willing to do it, we will always find them a pig to smooch with,” Jones-Willey said.

There’s a little more to their appearances than just humor.

“We allow kids who’ve never seen a pig before to meet them and touch them. Every time we educate someone, they’re able to educate someone else, and that’s our main focus and goal,” she said.

The network fosters and tries to permanently place pot-bellied pigs as pets. Pigs coming to the network are spayed or neutered, and the network checks to make sure pigs are allowed where potential adoptees live.

Pigs like Dudley come from a variety of circumstances. Families who buy them from breeders often don’t realize how big a pig will get — 80 to 180 pounds — or that they’ll live 15 to 20 years, and decide they can’t keep it.

“They are wonderful to have around children. A potbellied pig’s personality is very similar to a cat. Breeders will tell you, ‘It’s just like having a dog.’ It’s nothing like having a dog,” Jones said.

Some cities don’t allow pigs as pets, and people get them without doing their research. Other times pigs come from abusive or hoarding situations.

People can make appointments to visit the pig farms in Cleveland and Winston, Missouri. Those interested in adopting a pig, donating or learning more can visit kcpigrescuenetwork.org.