The Most Trouble I've Gotten Myself Into... Pot Belly Pig Rescue

From an Animal lover, who just got in too deep, physically, financially, and legally.

Pot Bellied Pig
While I was involved in a rescue effort of some 300+ adult Pot belly Pigs, I was rescuing many of the babies from that group, which were too helpless to survive, and had been born to mothers who were too young to even know how to care for their young ones.

I hand raised about one hundred piglets, getting them all spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and dewormed, and ridding them of mites called mange mites, which pigs can get.  I still had thirty-four Pot Belly Pigs, when the primary rescue group was replaced, when it became known they were secretly planning on shooting more than 250 pigs that they were not qualified to manage.

Even though I had actually started that rescue effort, it was something I was not able to manage on my own, either physically, or financially. So, when this group from the San Francisco area offered to help, and to provide things needed for coordinating the effort, I as well as the older man who owned the property, and the pigs, in addition to goats, chickens, ducks, and so many unaltered cats, that no one really knew how many there were, we were grateful and gladly accepted the offer.

As things turned out, these people were in way over their heads. When we found out they had decided to shoot all the remaining pigs (at least 250 of them), it was just about the end of all the work I had been doing.

Somehow, a more local legitimate sanctuary, and rescuer stepped up to the plate, and took over. I continued my work. The prior group decided that if they were to save face, they had to sabotage our project. They began spreading lies, claiming all the pigs we had were dying and carrying disease that could kill people as well as their other pets.

So, I still had thirty-four pigs of various ages, which was more than local code allowed. I was cited, and fines which were on the citations added up to $1,050. I went before the Judge, who allowed me time to try to get the pigs on my property placed. Eventually everyone of the three hundred pigs were placed in either homes or in pig sanctuaries, from coast to coast. The Judge lowered my fine to $125.00, and even allowed me to make it in payments, as I am physically disabled, and on Social Security, so my income is very limited.

The thirty-four I had were all placed in homes as pets, or on property locally which gave them room to run and root, as pigs do, and to be cared for properly.