Rescue & Adoptions

2007 Featured Rescues

Piglets Endure Harrowing Start, Survive and Thrive at New York Shelter

Traditional wisdom holds that siblings tend to fight and bicker. The four pink piglets now living at our New York Shelter would beg to differ.

Emily, Dennis, Farley and Ogar had been through a rough piglethood together, seized from the grips of a squatter living illegally on an abandoned piece of property in Maryland. When he was arrested for trespassing, they were left out in the cold.

The quartet was taken in by a local humane agency that contacted Farm Sanctuary and arranged for their placement at our New York Shelter. When they got to our shelter, they were emaciated, suffering from mange and riddled with lice. But the scruffy adolescents soon blossomed, their days destined for a dinner plate placed firmly behind them.

But one thing the piglets did retain was their sense of family-and the strength they gain from one another.

That became evident when they first arrived at our shelter. One of the first orders of business was a trip to Cornell University Hospital for Animals for a health check and then a necessary spay and neuter. Emily had just come out of surgery, and when a shelter caregiver picked her up, she was treated to a nip on the leg, courtesy of a glaring Ogar.

It's just one example of how the piglets look out for one another. But today, instead of mistrusting the species that had abused them in the past, the four piglets enjoy the company of humans-even seeking it out and reveling in it.

The formerly snippy Ogar is the best case-in-point. Guests to the pig barn are now treated to a kinder, gentler boy who scampers right up and plops on his side waiting for a coveted belly rub. And Emily, Dennis and Farley are right there with him. They've each grown into their own personalities with their own ways of expressing themselves.

Dennis, although he is the largest of the siblings, is the shyest of the bunch, but, once you have his trust, you can see he's a sweetheart. Brave Emily, valiantly approaching humans from the beginning, is a perfect example of the daring matriarch. And, while Farley may be bashful to approach, you can hear his high pitched voice welcoming all comers to the pig barn.

It's clear that the piglets can help themselves in many ways-but they can't do it all alone. These four characters are in need of loving sponsors through our Adopt-A-Farm Animal Project. This program provides healthcare, home and hearth to the piglets for the duration of their lives. Loving sponsors can ensure that these four continue to thrive at our sanctuary. Click here, to become a sponsor for Emily, Dennis, Farley or Ogar today!