AN UNSUSPECTING piglet, who enjoys neck scratches and attempts to bark like a dog, needs the community's help.

Before meeting Arnold the pig, Rochelle Whitton experienced multiple tragedies.

When walking onto Mrs Whitton's property you can see the debris from the fire that destroyed almost everything..

Whitton had just renovated her house and had moved in with her family, then three weeks later they awoke to a blaring smoke alarm.

"At 1.30am, we heard the smoke alarm and the house was on fire ... I lost everything, " Mrs Whitton said.

Mrs Whitton said the sound of smoke alarm, even if it is from just burnt toast, still instils fear in her.

Eight months before this tragedy, her mother had died and all the memories of her were lost in the fire.

In the wake of the tragedy, Mrs Whitton saw Arnold, the 10-week-old pig when he popped up on her Facebook feed, being sold for $100.

"As soon as I saw that I jumped on it."

The owner ended up giving Arnold away for free, saying as long as he went to a loving home and not to a dinner table, the money didn't matter.

When The Daily Examiner met Arnold, he was trotting along, snorting happily and not far behind was his best friend, their Bull Arab-cross-Great Dane.

The Whittons lost several animals in the fire and Mrs Whitton said she would do anything to save an animal.

"Arnold has become part of the family ... absolutely love him."

After six weeks of owning Arnold, they realised he had a huge umbilical hernia.

In mid-January, veterinarian Dr Louisa Poutsma, from Mobile Vet in South Grafton, was introduced to Arnold.

"Imagine the largest mango you have ever seen in your life ... it was rubbing on the ground. It absolutely had to be remedied," Dr Poutsma said.

Dr Poutsma said the hernia occurred when Arnold was born.

A couple of weeks later, at a cost of $1300, Dr Poutsma performed the six-hour operation to help Arnold. She performed the operation at cost, cutting Mrs Whitton's bill by 30 per cent.

"You look at these cases, and you think how can I as a human being help," Dr Poutsma said.

The hole Dr Poutsma stitched up was 12cm-15cm long, large for a hernia.

Because of pressure on the abdomen, the hernia came back.

The next surgery could cost up to $3000.

Mrs Whitton thought the first surgery was expensive.

"Not that I could afford it ... I thought it was going to work, I was absolutely devastated," Mrs Whitton said. "I don't even know what to do, you know."

"We knew there was a chance we might have to go again, unfortunately," Dr Poutsma said.

She said Arnold needed a mesh implant that to provide enough strength to maintain a complete abdominal wall.

Mrs Whitton began a gofundme to help with the cost, click here to donate.