New Zealand's ugliest pig (or not - eye of the beholder) is set to start the new year in a new home after picking up an online following.

Photo: RNZ

Photo: RNZ

Named Hogwart, the kunekune ended up in the care of Auckland Council's Silverdale Animal Shelter, where he's lived for the past two months. But this morning he'll be making his way to his new forever home, as Silverdale's Shelter manager Kelsey told First Up's Lydia Batham.

Hogwart was picked up by the council in November, when he was roaming the streets of Dairy Flat.

The staff named him after the school in the Harry Potter film. Seven goats also had Harry-Potter-themed names.

Kelsey describes Hogwart, who's an older pig, as "ugly-cute".

"He loves his food, and people, he's a real people-pig so he loves getting pats, the girls hose him down, he really seems to enjoy that and just lying out in the sun."

No one really took much interest in the photos of him online, until all of a sudden they did, she said.

Yesterday three people contacted the shelter about adopting Hogwart.

Hogwart will be heading to his new home where there will be three other kunekune pigs to keep him company.

“She wanted to give him somewhere to live out his years, pretty much, and it was perfect.”

Kelsey says it’s a nice start to the year to have Hogwart find a new home.

“It’s coming up to two months now and as much as he’s become part of the place, he does need somewhere to go. It’ll be cool for him to have some mates as well.”

