Mission Accomplished

When we would drive to the foster farm to visit with the rescued animals from the cruelty and abuse seizure in King George County, a variety of animals would endear themselves to us as we drove up. First we would see Paddy and Buddy a pair of potbelly pigs run down the fenceline and bark as pigs can do. Then they would race with the car in pure delight at being alive and unencumbered little pigs without a care in the world. As you would pull into the parking area Alfie the pig would run to the top of the porch stairs and then hurry to greet you at the gate with his little tail a wagging.

Getting to know these precious little souls and knowing that their home was soon to be gone very difficult for us. The woman charged with their care was not able to make provisions for their welfare and the bank had given the order that they were to be seized by Animal Control and disposed of on the day of eviction. The two gentle farm pigs were to be butchered and their meat given to the needy of the community. That is what we were faced with but not given any control over. Finally on the weekend before the eviction we got word that most of the animals would be released to us. Curtis and Ron worked all day in the cold rain to make chutes and ramps to load the large and small pigs into two trailers. Cory Fisher and I worked along Karen Flynn and Samantha Whitesides from the Humane Society to crate those that were social enough to be moved in that fashion.

As darkness approached we headed home for yet another late night of feeding and accommodating new friends. On Sunday Ron drove 14 pigs to Knoxville for spays and vet work. Eleven would remain in Tennessee to be re-homed at a pig sanctuary. On Monday Ron and I loaded up the remaining 13 pigs to go to a foster home that would provide food and care for them while their legal owner tried to come up with a plan to keep and properly care for them.

When Tuesday morning arrived all the bank wanted to know was if all the pigs were out. They were all 38 of them plus a goat. What had once seemed impossible had happened. It was not easy but it was done. We could not have done it without the help and cooperation of the wonderful Culpeper Humane Society. In their eyes all animals are worthy of rescue. The Catskills Sanctuary http://www.casanctuary.org/ in New York has offered to give homes to the two farm pigs and they await transport at the beautiful farm of the Sounders. Please note in the picture that the pigs were marked with harmless scarlet oil on their bristles to assure that they stayed in their family groups and received the correct medical procedures. They all did!