KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A South Knoxville family said they have the oldest pet pig on the planet. His name is Snort and he’s 24 years old.
The age of 24 in human years is equal to about 120 in pig years, according to a Google search, at least. If with age comes wisdom, Snort is one smart swine.
His family defines him as a sassy pig who knows what he wants.
The Hunt family initially got Snort when Trey Hunt was only 4 years old. That's what he wanted for his birthday.
Trey is 28 years old now and never dreamed he would grow up with his pet pig.
"When he was younger, he acted a lot like a dog. He'd be out roaming around the yard and he was never in a pen or nothing," Hunt said. "He just lived underneath the porch, and I'd come outside and lay with him and act just like a dog."
Now, Snort doesn't get around much. Trey's mom, Karla Hunt, said she thinks he's blind and deaf, and his front legs don't work as well as they used to.
When she goes in his makeshift pig condo made out of a truck topper, he gives her as much sass as a teenager asking you to leave their room.
Karla is the main caretaker, which is fitting since she is a cook at a local assisted living facility.
"I never expected him to live as long as he's lived, but he's always been a healthy pig," Karla said. "He's been to the vet one time in his life, and that was when he was neutered as a young pup."
She never dreamed of saying sayonara to Snort.
"He is a member of the family," Karla said. "You don't give members of the family away, and people ask me all the time, 'Are you going to eat him?' And I'm like, 'No, you don't eat your family.'"
The Hunts believe their snuggly sausage is the oldest living pig on the planet. They even got Guinness World Records involved.
"I sent an application in and they accepted it and pushed me through to the secondary part," Trey said.
The only problem is, they can't prove that Snort is as old as he is.
"It's not like we have a birth certificate," Trey said. "So all we have is pictures of when we when I got him and pictures of, you know, me and him, you know, different ages."
They're hoping the world record committee takes their word for it.
"If we could prove it, I know we could get in," Karla said. "But you know, there again, I don't know how we're gonna prove it."
Title or not, the Hunts believe there's power in caring for aging.
"I just think it's as you get older, you're still valued, and you still have a lot to offer," Karla said.
This family believes the secret to Snort's age has everything to do with the freedom and food scraps he feasts on. Karla will bring him leftovers from the assisted living home, but never any meat.
They have another teenage pig who lives under the house named Grunt. He is Snort's best buddy.
They have had other pigs over the years, but say they are out of the pig business after this.
They don't want to imagine a life without their perfect porker.
"It almost feels like he's never gonna pass away," Trey said. "I mean, he's just, he's a member of the family. I barely remember getting him so he's been around as long as I can physically remember. So it'll be sad when I see him go one day."
The former oldest living pig, Baby Jane, passed away last year. She was 23 years old and lived in Illinois.