Rescue & Adoptions

Healthcare with Heart Stories

Fighting the Long-Term Effects of the Factory Farm

Every day, caregivers at Farm Sanctuary's California and New York Shelters work closely with former victims of the "food animal" industry. Having spent countless hours in the company of these rescued animals, our staff members are very familiar with the unique health problems they face. Year after year, caregivers encounter animals who are suffering from injury, disease and crippling leg disorders, all as a result of genetic engineering and the horrific depravity of life on modern-day factory farms. Relying on the vast wealth of medical and experiential knowledge Farm Sanctuary has acquired over the past two decades, they do the best they can to treat the animals entrusted to their care.

Factory-farmed pigs, in particular, offer caregivers a unique challenge. Genetically engineered for rapid, excessive weight gain, and raised on unsanitary cement or metal surfaces, they suffer from a variety of leg problems. Within the meat industry, most pigs are slaughtered once they reach six months of age, or 250 pounds, but when allowed to live longer and grow larger than this, the effects of their unnatural breeding become even more apparent. Their fragile skeletal systems simply cannot support the massive bulk of their bodies.

Recently, two pigs named Sophie and Julia, who live at our New York Shelter, began to develop telltale signs of weight-related problems in their legs. Both were raised in intensive confinement in a filthy swine "warehouse," in North Carolina as piglets, and so, unfortunately, have proven predictably susceptible to debilitating leg problems now that they are older. This spring, Sophie and Julia developed cracks in their hooves because of their tremendous weight. Despite diligent health checks and regular hoof cleanings and trimmings, bacteria developed inside these cracks and caused abscesses to form on the pigs' feet. The abscesses then caused both pigs to develop osteomyelitis, or infection in the bone.

In the spring of 2005, Sophie and Julia's abscesses were noticed in time to be treated successfully. Doctors at Cornell University's Veterinary Hospital were able to help both pigs, cleaning out their wounds and surgically removing a damaged claw from each of their feet. They treated the girls with antibiotics to fight further infection and pain medication to keep them comfortable after the surgeries. Staff members transported Sophie and Julia home to our New York Shelter where they lived happily together in a private pen during their recovery. Every couple of days, caregivers lovingly cleaned their feet and wrapped them in sterile gauze, offering tons of hugs and kisses too, just for good measure. Today, both remain active and cheerful, and enjoy walks outdoors on sunny days.