After dogs and horses joining animal racing, an ecological garden in Dalian City in northeast China’s Liaoning Province held a mini pig racing on Saturday. /Xinhua Photo

The competition attracted large crowds, as the adorable running piglets wowed many audiences. /Xinhua Photo

Mini pigs are commonly kept as pets. They are curious and intelligent creatures and can make wonderful companion animals, according to the Government of Western Australia. Siobhan Poole, a staff from Cedar Row Farm Sanctuary in Canada, told CBC Toronto that pot-bellied pigs have been “trendy” the last couple of years. More than 345,370 posts containing the hashtag of minipig have been posted on Instagram. /Xinhua Photo

However, people have to be aware of the term “mini pig”, “teacup pig” or “micro pig”, as there is no selling breed of pig has been publicly recognized as true miniature variety so far. Multiple animal rescue organizations have been set up to find new homes for pet pigs which have grown too large or otherwise unmanageable for their owners. /Xinhua Photo