Rescue & Adoptions

2008 Featured Rescues

A Tale of Two Pigs

Drop by Harry and Hazel's barn and prepare to be greeted by a jovial pair of floppy-eared pigs who just can't say enough about their new life at our New York Shelter. Brought to us after the unfolding of events reminiscent of Babe or Charlotte's Web, these two terrific pigs outsmarted the fate assigned to many of their species with sheer strong will and a profound tug on the heartstrings of the people with the power to spare their lives: the family who raised them.

Extraordinary and striking in appearance, Hazel and Harry are Large Black pigs, a rare breed more commonly found in England, New Zealand and Australia. The pair, primarily used for breeding, lived on a small diversified vegetable farm in Canada, where Cem and Rebecca Pyper relied on their animals for manure and then, after the pigs matured, sent them to slaughter. Like their offspring, Hazel and Harry were destined to be killed for pork, but every time Cem tried to load the willful pigs onto a slaughterhouse-bound truck, they would run away and hide, always eluding capture.

"The pigs just stayed," said Cem, who, after the last failed attempt by four men to send Harry to slaughter, later sat down in the barn to visit with the wily animals who still remained after all the others had gone. As the gentle, chatty pigs engaged him in "conversation," the farmer settled into Harry and Hazel's familiar presence as one slips a hand into a well-worn glove and simply reflected on his relationship with the remarkable animals who followed Rebecca as she hung laundry, attended to their litters, responded to their names, and returned home when Cem called; he was filled with anguish over what to do with the animals.

The fact of the matter was, after years in the company of pigs, particularly the dynamic duo of Hazel and Harry, the routine of farm life had already stopped making perfect sense to Cem and Rebecca. Formerly of the mind that farm animals raised and treated as humanely as possible returned the favor to the farmer in their deaths, the couple became increasingly troubled and slowly started to phase out their supplemental operation. Each of the pigs really were, after all, more to them than mere means to an end, especially for Rebecca, who helped birth and mother each pig born on the farm. And most apparently, Harry and Hazel were not only friends, but creatures with desires all their own, namely the chance to hold onto their dignity and their lives.

But with profit margins slim and money tight, the present-day reality for Cem and Rebecca was that they could not afford to keep Harry and Hazel on the farm as friends. Neither wanting to sell nor slaughter the pigs, the farmers relied on kitchen scraps from a vegetarian restaurant to sustain Harry and Hazel. The restaurant owner, who had hung pictures of the pigs in his establishment, also loaned the Pypers video footage highlighting the victims of animal agriculture and the people who have been deeply affected by them and featuring the work of Farm Sanctuary. The film greatly impacted the pair and when the restaurateur then offered to pay for additional pig feed, Cem was moved by the man's compassion for two animals he didn't even know.

And so, along with Cem and Rebecca's renewed commitment to a vegetarian lifestyle also came their fervent vow to find lifelong sanctuary for Harry and Hazel, the ones responsible for opening their hearts and inspiring permanent change. The costs for food, a pending neuter surgery for Harry, as well as other healthcare and housing were mounting, and the farmer knew the pigs would need to find refuge elsewhere to ensure that that could live the best life possible.

Fortunately, while undergoing this compassionate transformation, Cem met a Farm Sanctuary representative at a vegetarian food festival. Learning that there might be a viable way of farming without relying on animal manure, the farmer was intrigued. Ripe and ready to learn more, Cem kept in touch with us as he continued to implement a stock-free agricultural model at his farm. Reaching out to us once again on behalf of Hazel and Harry, Cem and Rebecca finally found the happy ending they wished for. We agreed to care for the pigs and provide them with all the nourishing food and veterinary care they need to retire in peace.

Loading the pigs onto a truck for the first and last time, the Pypers reveled in the joyful event, which, for Harry and Hazel, was clearly something to celebrate, rather than to fear. Now, after adjusting to their new surroundings, Harry and Hazel have truly put all worries to rest and picked up right where they left off, making friends and reminding all who meet them that there is always a better way.