Animals have a way of changing the way we look at the world. They teach us to live in the moment and to be kind to all living beings. Their life lessons continue to impact us even when they have crossed The Rainbow Bridge.

Esther, who was supposed to be a "mini pig", grew into a 695-pound pig who changed the life of her owner's Steve and Derek in ways they never expected. She earned the name "Esther the Wonder Pig" and became a social media star.

With a personality as large as she was, it didn't take long for her to acquire hundreds of thousands of fans. As she and her popularity grew, the family made the move to a 58-acre property and started Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary.

The sanctuary to help rescue and care for abused, neglected and abandoned farms animals was founded in Ontario, Canada, in 2014.

Esther made the day of her fans on social media by sporting different looks with a big smile on her face, devouring tasty snack, and taking a dip in her pool. Her partner in crime was her canine pal, Phil, who would join her for a roll in the mud and share her memory foam mattress bed on the sunroom for an afternoon nap.

She opened the eyes of her family and fans to factory farming and encouraged countless people to go vegan, including her dads. She spread kindness and compassion and inspired others to do the same, which has become known as "The Esther Effect".

August 25th was Esther's "Gotcha Day" and her dad wrote a touching post to Esther. "Dear Esther, Eleven years ago today we met you for the very first time. I'll never forget the way you trembled and looked up at me from the laundry basket you were delivered in. Your tiny little sunburned ears, and those chipped pink nail polished toes. You looked so sad!"

The heartfelt letter continued on to share how she inspired and changed his life. "Thank you for being a daily source of inspiration, and smiles. You make even the hardest days happier," concluded the post.

Steve recently shared that she was experiencing some health issues which were being addressed by a vet. She had beat cancer and several other ailments over the years, but was recently suffering from severe arthritis "with bony protrusions from her spine."

On October 18, he shared some devastating news on Facebook.

"There’s no easy way to say this, but the day we all wished would never come has arrived. Esther has passed away. She was calm and peaceful, and fell asleep with her dad Steve by her side. While we understand many of you will have questions, and we will have the answers for you , but we are going to take a little break to process the situation."

He went on to say, "Even though Esther is no longer physically with us, her memory and legacy will live forever. Esther is immortal, and we will continue to show the world that all animals deserve to be loved just like she was.
Sending love and happy thoughts to each and every one of you. We know you all loved her just as much as we did, and we thank you for that."

Steve told local news, The Hamilton Spectator, that a funeral will be held in the spring and a life-sized statue of Esther will be placed on the property in her memory.

The world is mourning the loss of the inspirational pig who brought so much joy just by being herself. She will be greatly missed.

Steve hopes that people will view pigs differently thanks to Esther and that more pigs will get to show their true personalities and live a full life like his beloved friend.

Learn more about Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary and all the animal residents here.