An Instagram-Famous Piglet Just Came Out as an Anti-Vaxxer

[Demovictory9]

Penny the Fire Pig went marginally viral earlier this year, garnering local headlines when her human companion, FDNY firefighter Darren Harris, adopted her from a farm in Virginia because his daughter is afraid of dogs. He then brought her to the firehouse, making Penny Engine 239’s unofficial mascot. It was the kind of heartwarming story that is designed to capture the attention of pandemic burnt-out netizens, and Penny became a minor Instagram influencer, racking up more than 12,000 followers.
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The porcine tastemaker’s narrative arc took a dark turn, however, on Wednesday, when the Penny the Fire Pig account (which typically posts such innocuous content as Penny cavorting with neighborhood children, skateboarding, or slurping up a coconut icee) reposted a flier in opposition to the recent FDNY vaccine mandate on Instagram Stories.

Last week, New York City announced it would be rolling out the mandate to all public employees with no test-out option, effective Nov. 1, prompting backlash among many city employees such as members of the NYPD’s largest union, which has filed suit against the city.


In an Instagram DM to Rolling Stone, the person behind Penny the Fire Pig’s post, who seemed to confirm he was Harris, explained he was motivated by his concerns over the vaccine mandate potentially creating a first responder shortage in New York City. “I’m vaccinated and understand importance of the shot,” he said. “I just don’t want any firehouses shut down.” He said that he deleted the post because Penny the Fire Pig is currently working on a “fire safety children’s book, and does not have business [expressing] personal views.”

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/firehouse-pig-covid-19-vaccine-new-york-1249175/

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Can't take a pig's thoughts too seriously, especially

if there is a human, pretending to be a pig behind it.

[MustLoveBeagles]

2. Maybe a better thing to do

Would've been to urge his fellow firefighters to get the vaccine instead of throwing their temper tantrums. Poor Penny.

[jcgoldie]

3. lying pig

I bet she got her iron injections to prevent anemia when she was a week old...