Ahhh, the '90s.

"The Simpsons." Grunge music. Vietnamese potbellied pigs.

Anyone who picked up a People magazine in that decade will remember George Clooney and his much-beloved potbellied pig, Max.

The potbellied porkers originated in Vietnam - hence the name - and arrived in the United States in the mid-1980s, quickly turning into the must-have pet of the rich and famous and then regular folk.

Many of the pet pigs purchased in the past decade, though, are now seniors or, well, sleeping the big sleep. And because today's celebrities coo not over oinkers but tiny dogs (e.g., Paris Hilton's Tinkerbell), people who keep potbellied pigs as pets are harder to root out than a Pearl Jam T-shirt - particularly in Western Virginia.

Audio: Hear the pigs sing: Click the audio link above to play.  Related story: Wilbur is free to be prosthetic-free

"The fad has passed," saidKathy Perdue, marketing and development director of the Roanoke Valley Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

She can't remember anyone dropping a pig off at the shelter in several years, whereas during the trend's heyday, more than one little piggy ended up at the shelter after owners realized that the pets 1) get considerably larger than a golden retriever, and 2) require extensive care.

Melissa Susko, executive director of PIGS, a sanctuary that specializes in unwanted potbellied and farm pigs in Shepherdstown, W.Va., said the extent of the pigs' former popularity can still be felt, however. The creatures - which live an average of 12 years - fill shelters all over the country.

Harmony, a Botetourt sanctuary for farm animals run by the nonprofit Angels of Assisi organization, houses four potbellied pigs.

"When they're small, they're cute and cuddly. Then they grow up," said Steve George, the farm's manager.

An adult male pig named Itzy arrived at Harmony last month after a Bedford County woman lost her farmhouse to foreclosure. In just a few weeks at Harmony, said George, the formerly skinny Itzy gained 10 pounds.

No animals at this farm face the chopping block. They're allowed to live out their natural lives.

Itzy and his three potbellied companions, who've been at the shelter since October and are also the victims of a foreclosure, spend their days in the shade of a tidy barn where they dine on fresh vegetables and vegetarian pig feed. It's a considerably more agreeable fate than that of some abandoned pigs.

George spoke of one potbellied pig who spent his whole life in his owner's basement.

"Never seen the outside," George lamented. Pig jail, he called it.

Others are said to have been turned into dinner, but the rumors could not be substantiated.

"They are smart and make wonderful pets, but they need to be outdoors and do the pig thing," said Susko.

A potbellied named Miss Piggy did the pig thing at the Eggleston home of Debbie Dull for 12 years until it went to the pig trough in the sky two winters ago.

Dull gave Miss Piggy baths and trimmed her hooves. She was allowed to roam free.

Miss Piggy, in return, greeted Dull when she pulled into the driveway. She gently accepted corn from the hands of schoolchildren.

But she wasn't capable of loving a human like a cat or dog.

"In spite of giving her that type of attention, she never believed I wasn't going to eat her," said Dull.

Emma Saunders has a different point of view. She loved her three potbellied friends and believes they loved her, too.

But Saunders had to give away her pigs in 1997 after officials in Vinton decided they were livestock, not pets, and that Saunders' property wasn't zoned for agriculture use.

She wishes her home were still filled with the pitter-patter of piggy feet.

"Wilbur, he liked the hair dryer," she recalled mournfully.

With the proper diet, Saunders argued, the pigs can stay at about 60 pounds (it's more typical to read of potbellied pigs at 150 pounds or more). She found them to be clean and easy to train. Unlike cats, she said, her pigs would walk on a leash.

And affectionate? Saunders could go on for days.

"They love a belly rub," she said. "They love you to take a brush to them."

While potbellied pigs are nowhere near as prevalent as they once were, it's still possible to adopt a piglet in Western Virginia. They're not carried in area pet stores, but a recent classified ad in The Roanoke Times offered piglets for between $100 and $150. (The person running the ad declined to be interviewed.)

Susko said the little porkers also can be found at festivals and flea markets for as little as $25 or $50. "People remember the fad and still think they're getting a good deal," she said.

Folks who're not interested in having their own potbellied pig snoozing on the front porch can get a look at the animals at Mill Mountain Zoo or either of the two zoos near Natural Bridge.

Or perhaps they can find ol' Max sunning himself at Clooney's mansion in Lake Como, Italy. The star recently split with his girlfriend, but his love for pigs seems to be eternal.

On the Net: http://www.angelsofassisi.org | pigs.org

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Caring for potbellied pigs

Pros

• Intelligent (rank behind primates and dolphins/whales as the smartest)

• Pigs that have been neutered or spayed are generally sweet-natured and sensitive. Pigs are so sensitive that their feelings can be hurt.

• Can be litter-box trained.

• Generally enjoy hardy health. Pigs should receive yearly vaccinations, hoof trimmings and physicals.

• Have bristle-like hair. People allergic to dog and cat fur may have no reaction to the hair of a pig.

• Generally clean and odorless (see exception below)

The other side

• Because they're so smart, they can become bored and destructive if kept inside all the time.

• They're herd animals. They have a pecking order and will usually vie to be "top pig." Human family members can become the pig's herd. Pig will charge its opponent, snapping and swinging its head. When the opponent is a family member or a guest, this can be dangerous.

• They root. Anyone desiring a manicured lawn should not have a pig. Rooting helps them obtain necessary vitamins and minerals.

• They're susceptible to pneumonia.

• They're easily stressed.

• Finding a vet knowledgeable in the health care of potbellied pigs can be difficult. Emergency treatment and/or specialized surgery can be especially expensive.

• Local zoning laws may not allow pigs as pets (see below).

• Unspayed females can become moody. A male who is not neutered has a strong, foul odor.

- Source: pigs.org

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Which localities allow potbellied pigs in residential neighborhoods?

Bedford: No
Blacksburg: No
Botetourt County: No written policy. Issue has never came up according to Chuck Supan, Botetourt County planner and zoning administrator.
Christiansburg: No
Roanoke: No (only in agricultural zones or on a farm of 5 or acres or more)
Roanoke County: Yes
Salem: No
Vinton: No