After a 10-year marriage, Gayla Thompson got a fresh start — in a pigsty.
Freshly divorced, the 33-year-old Nashville native traded in her messy husband for an even messier pig pen. In November 2025, Thompson welcomed eight-week-old Daisy — a tiny nine-pound piglet.
“I traded one pig for another,” Thompson said.
The divorcee says finalizing the split was the moment she decided to do something just for herself — securing the baby pig. Rolling in the mud, Daisy quickly grew into the center of her world.
“My ex-husband always told me I couldn’t have a pet pig,” Thompson said. “So when the divorce was settled, getting my dream pig was the best way to start my new life.”
Thompson is even planning to build a mini farm, where she aims to finally get her fairytale ending her marriage never did — even if it comes with a pigsty.
Now at 4 months old and weighing in at 50 pounds, Daisy has her own bed, toys and litter box — she even gets the weekly ride to her local spot.
“It’s not every day you see a pig on a leash at the store,” the Tennessee resident said. “She’s very well known at the pet store. All the employees love her; she’s part of the clean-up crew in every aisle.”
Thompson said Daisy is even a regular at popular fast food spot Sonic where she is treated to a “pup cup” from staff who “recognize her on sight.”
Despite raised eyebrows from strangers, the freshly divorced Thompson said her family wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Thompson was always an animal lover, helping rehabilitate injured creatures since she was a child.
“You know the movie Charlotte’s Web? I’m the little girl in that movie,” Thompson said. “I was always rescuing baby birds and rehabilitating them. An indoor pet pig is nothing short of expected from me.”
While Thompson has previously owned large dog breeds — including English Mastiffs and Great Danes — Daisy presented new challenges.
“At about three months old, she realized she could open cabinets and pull everything out,” Thompson said. “And pigs naturally root, so I had to baby-proof everything and protect my carpet.”
Regardless of having to pig-proof the home, Daisy has been “extremely easy” to care for — and cleaner than expected.
“She only goes potty in her litter box. Pigs are actually very clean animals; people don’t know that.”
Caring for a pig isn’t as costly as a husband. For the first few winter months, Daisy only used up around $50 a month to care for — but Thompson expects that to drop.
Once she gets a fully purpose-built pig pen, Daisy will be outdoors and only cost about $20 a month. Her daily menu is fairly cheap and simple — grain pellets twice a day, lettuce and Cheerios as her favorite treat.
“Pigs are great for leftovers,” Thompson said. “I actually waste less food now.”
The biggest change in Thompson’s life — the fresh start Daisy represents.
Thompson now has a new partner — who has fully embraced the dream wholeheartedly — helping transport Daisy every weekend to his larger country property so she could roam and root freely.
“We’re moving in together and building them a beautiful pig pen,” Thompson said.
The couple even gave Daisy a brother — another pig named Dude — with plans to expand into a small hobby farm with chickens and possibly a donkey this summer.
“It’s a beautiful new journey with a new partner,” she says. “This is my dream. And I’m finally living it.”
