Sure, that’s easy for a human to say. Even though livestock supplier Donna Dalin says there will be no harm to the pigs, who would know? A study of pig intelligence reported in the New York Times indicates high intelligence and remarkable memory. Pigs have large brains and are among the quickest of animals to learn a new routine, the Times reported. They can jump through hoops and bow to an audience. They can spin and make word-like sounds on command. They can  roll out rugs, herd sheep, close and open cages, play video games with joysticks and more.

Pig cognition is a big research topic these days. Investigators have found that pigs even practice deception to throw other pigs off the trail of food — presumably so they can hog it for themselves.

But here’s the clincher. Pigs are slow to forget. According to Suzanne Held of the University of Bristol: “They may get scared once and then have trouble getting over it.” This is what makes me wonder about the Utah County Fair. Here are these highly intelligent animals being chased wildly around a pen by strange creatures that walk upright and have hair mostly on their heads. I envision the pigs shrieking with fear, trying to escape, just like the one I raised when I lived with my family in the hills near San Diego.

When the day came to  “do” the pig, I looped a rope around his neck to lead him to the butcher’s truck. He shrieked and resisted the whole way, and I know he knew what was coming. I’m sure the fight over that traumatic green mile made a lasting impression on him. Luckily it only needed to last about 10 minutes. The pork was delicious. By contrast, the pigs used at the Utah County Fair will likely suffer recurring nightmares.