A new life, a new home

The plea for help went out in the media months ago. An old man with the mental illness of hoarding/ collecting had hundreds of animals living on less than one acre of land! The potbellied pigs were all inbred and living so crowded they could barely move. They lived on the free bread the man collected, with minimal housing and no beds. They lived in feces, eating bread every day in feces.

It was heartbreaking to hear no one was stepping up to take very many pigs. Just a few could find homes and of course everyone wanted the piglets. No one wanted the teen aged pigs who were a large and unsocialized group. Farm sanctuaries all said no because they were pot bellied pigs and not commercially bred for meat production, even though to the meat dealers a pig is a pig and potbellied pigs are sent to slaughter and prized for the sausage that is made from them.

When I saw the large group of young females I made the decision then and there to take a stand for them and bring them to a home of compassion and love at Pigs Peace Sanctuary.

Chester saves 20 pigs!

Chester, one of our 800 lb. farm pigs had a leg and foot injury and went out to the woods when he was very sick. Chester stayed in the woods for 10 days which meant that three times a day we walked through the meadow and into the woods to give him juice, soymilk, food, and injections (ouch) It was during one of many trips to visit Chester that it became so clear to me how much room we have here and I thought of the cramped and dirty environment the California pigs were living in. It is in thanks to Chester that I called California and said, "we have room, we will take 20 more!"

Shortly after that phone call Chester came back to the barn and is in full recovery. Come visit the new pigs. Numbers 51 to 71 are fondly called "Chester's girls".

Waiting to get out of the truck!

What was expected to be a simple unloading off a truck turned into hours and hours of work. The 70 ft. long double decker animal transport truck could not get into our driveway and certainly could not unload pigs to the various locations we had prepared! The truck driver backed into the property, got as far as the front of the house, and it was there that we had to unload all the pigs. First we had to put in fence posts and fencing!! We were prepared for all the pigs, but not prepared for this. Knowing these pigs traveled 27 hours in a dirty and crowded truck made it worth all the extra work.

Adapting to a new life

Everyday when I feed the new girls from California they all run in a large mass as everyone is hungry and everyone wants to eat at the same time.

All but one… from the first day they came I noticed one older female who would separate herself from the group, run to the gate and wait alone as if asking for a solo meal. We now have a set agreement. This sweet 'ol girl politely waits alone for her meals. She is very distinct and is waiting for someone to name her. She's been waiting her whole life for a name...

Can you help them get a name?

Each pig from California had to have a numbered ear tag punched through their ear as a requirement to cross state lines. This is an added expense that must be done under anesthesia at the veterinarian's office. The pig's amazing veterinarian Dan Kennedy of Woodinville Vet Choice is cutting costs, but we must pay for the anesthesia and anesthesia for 82 pigs will cost a lot! Will you help and at the same time also name a pig?

For $100 each pig can be named by you. This seems like a lot to ask for I know, yet this will be the name for the life of this animal.

Name the pig in honor of your best friend, favorite relative, or child. Maybe you could name the pig after your ex-husband, ex-wife, or boss! I don't care, I want to see the number tags off and everyone to have a name for the first time in their life!