He's a pig with a tale to tell.
Charles the Pig survived November's Sevier County wildfires by burrowing into the mud. His owners, the Holmes family, had to run for their lives with just the clothes on their backs. They were shocked when they were finally able to return home. Everything was destroyed--- but somehow, Charles had survived.
He spent three weeks at the UT Veterinary Medical Center in Knoxville, recovering from serious burns and smoke inhalation. He's back with his family now, in a temporary home as they rebuild in Gatlinburg.
Now, his family wants to share his Smoky Mountain Strong story with the rest of the world through a book for children called "The Miraculous Story of Charles the Pig."
Charles the Pig
Rob Holmes, who co-wrote the book with his wife, has been an artist for thirty years. He did the illustrations depicting Charles' fight for survival.
“I think it’s a great story, it shows resilience. Charles is a true firefighter ya know, I mean he survived something most people couldn’t survive which gave a lot of people hope and inspiration,” he said.
The book is available through this website, complete with Charles' "hand-hoofed" signature. The book will soon be available at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon, but no hoof prints there.