Florida Woman Starts Pig Clothing Company After Her Pet Pig Grows Too Big for Dog Outfits

A woman who couldn't find any clothes to fit her 200-pound pet pig has started a thriving company selling hog couture.

Pharmaceutical sales rep Doreen Burke, 44, hit on the idea after finding it impossible to source clothes for her gigantic pet piggy, Rosie.

She set up Snort Life and now spends her evenings after work sewing outfits for piggies across America.

Doreen, from Port Charlotte, Florida, said: "After only about six months of having her, I realized she was going to need custom clothes. So I got a sewing machine, watched YouTube videos, and I taught myself to sew."

"I'm passionate about my pig and have always been into fashion, so it just worked. The business happened organically," she added. "It started with me making my own patterns for Rosie and posting them on social media, but then I realized there's a whole community out there who need them."

"People are out there trying to fit pigs into dog clothes, and they aren't built the same, and each pig needs custom clothing to fit properly," the proud pig mom explained. "That's when I decided to start Snort Life."

Doreen's customers send their pigs' measurements to her so that she can create bespoke attire for the mud-loving creatures in all shapes and sizes.

She added: "I've made costumes for birthdays, tuxedos for weddings, motorcycle jackets, clowns, cop uniforms, newsboy outfits, cowboys, you name it."

Doreen started her company after Rosie had an impressive growth spurt during her first month at Doreen's home.

She added: "At the point that I got her, September 2, 2014, there wasn't a lot on the internet about mini pigs, and so I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. It turns out there's really no such thing as a mini pig, but the breeder told me she would grow to be about 40-50 pounds, but now she's over 200 pounds!

"I would never give my pig up, but I quickly realized that there wasn't real access to clothes that actually would fit her, so I decided to teach myself how to make them," Doreen told SWNS about her solution to her pig problem. "With the rise of social media, I think people like to dress up their pets and show them off, so I wanted to ensure that I'm providing a way to do it safely for pigs."

"I really just like making people happy, and it makes people smile seeing pigs dressed up in cute outfits, while also knowing the pig isn't being squeezed into dog clothes," Doreen said. "And this is a great side job for me because my full-time work doesn't allow me to be creative and fun like this."