There is a little pet at the Lincoln County Animal Shelter in Edgecomb.

But it's not just any pet. It's a very special one.

He came to the shelter on December 20 after being released from his previous owner, who couldn't keep him anymore. He is four months old. And he's cute — relatively speaking. He is, after all, a pig, more specifically a pot-bellied pig. His name is Wilbur, after the one made famous by E.B. White’s “Charlotte's Web.”

Originating from Vietnam, pot-bellied pigs are considerably smaller than their American counterparts, with their maximum weight usually topping at somewhere between 35 and 50 pounds.

Wilbur is an indoor pig. In his previous life he lived with a family that included dogs and cats, and he shared the owner's bed with them.

Carrie Koskela, office manager at the shelter, said that Wilbur is very much like a domesticated dog. “He's kind of like a pig-shaped lab (Labrador),” she said. “When some of the staff bring their dogs to work he wags his tail.”

He can also be walked on a leash. And like a dog he needs a good home where he can be trained and socialized.

Unlike the pig made famous in the book, by White, who said “Wilbur didn't want food, he wanted love,” this Wilbur wants food and love. Koskela said he eats “mini pig-food” and most vegetables, though he's not keen on carrots, and corn wreaks havoc with his digestive system. When offered treats, Wilbur wags his tail and grunts while he munches, just like you'd expect from a pig.

Wilbur appears to be a happy little pig, wagging his tail when someone comes in to the room. He trots around the front office at the shelter like he owns the place, and greets people coming in the door.

On Tuesday, New Year's Eve, Carrie Koskela reported that Wilbur will be “going home” soon. He has been spoken for, and will be going to a home in Edgecomb. Look for a follow-up story about Wilbur's new family in the weeks to come.

At the present time the shelter has 29 dogs, 23 cats and 2 guinea pigs up for adoption. Please give some thought to stopping by and walking a dog, playing with a cat, and possibly taking one of these sweet creatures home to start a new life.