Pigharmony.com - About Us

Hello and welcome to PigHarmony.com! My name is Marlies (Pronounced: Mar-Leece). I adopted my first pig in
February of 2004. Gracie. She's the one that started it all. Since I've become involved with potbellied pigs, my life
and my perspective have changed. For the better.

What I really wanted was a full fledged farm pig for a pet. But the more research I did, the more I realized, for our
situation that might not be so practical. A friend of mine had a neighbor that had this cute, lonely potbellied pig.
She would cry out for attention and when I went to say hello to her thru the fence, she flopped over for a belly rub.
She instantly stole my heart. I contemplated the idea of adopting her over and over. I would go and visit her. One
day I went inside her pen to say hello and she started chasing
me and jumping up on me. At that point I changed my mind thinking I'd be taking on more than I could chew. But
Dave, my husband, insisted. "We said we'd take her and we're not going back on our word."

I knew nothing about pigs or the care of them. I went online and started doing research ~ www.pigs4ever.com
was one of the first and most informative sites I came across. From there I was introduced to other, very helpful
links (which you will find on my website). I asked tons of questions and joined their group list. The people were
great, honest and supportive. I found out that Gracie was going thru her heat cycle because she was not spayed.
They go thru this every 21 days for about 3 days. Some are not too bad. Most often they are though. Female
pigs are not only prone to uterine tumors that can and often do claim their life, but they can become aggressive
and obnoxious and downright intimidating. That's why it's so important to spay them at a young age - not to
mention the fact that over breeding and negligent breeding has lead to an epidemic of orphaned, neglected and
abused potbellied pigs.

We ventured forward and finally got Gracie in her crate and home we all went. We never looked back. With pigs
being as sensitive as they are, I was afraid she would be very depressed. Instead, she blossomed! She had a
yard in which to roam, her own piggy house, a pool of her own, regular meals, lots of attention and veterinary
care. The bald patches (caused by mange) on her coat filled in to a full, lustrous coat and her flanks filled out.
We bonded quickly and she is still Mama's little girl. My shadow. She is my most docile, easy going pig.

About a year after rescuing Gracie, there was another "stray" at a shelter that we brought in. After that there
was Miss Pretty…and countless others. They all have their stories and most of them are quite sad. These
animals literally wear their hearts on their noses (www.heartsonnoses.com). Some of the ones we have
personally taken in have since been placed, some are awaiting placement and some will never leave. I do most of
my placements by networking because unfortunately, there are more pigs that need homes than homes that
seem to want pigs. When the right home comes along…that's when it will be
meant to be. Can Pigharmony.com match you up with the pig of your dreams today?

I've met some of the best, most genuine sincere people since I've been involved with potbellied pigs. I've got the
strongest circle of friends in the past 3 years than I have my entire life leading up to it. Some of my best friends
are pigs!

What we Do: ...We network together diligently to find pigs that need homes, homes that need pigs.

____________________________Special thanks to the following people______________________________

My husband, Dave Reno ~ With out whose support and back-breaking effort none of this would have been
possible.

My son, Cody Steinberg ~ who always helps out taking care of the animals ~ even when they run from him.

Cheryl Misener ~ Our potbellied pig social worker and long time pbp advocate and a very good friend who
makes the best smelling soap ever! www.poshpigsoap.com

Kelley Moon ~ The Pig Whisperer ~ without whose wisdom, guidance and support many of us wouldn't know
where to go or what to do. Thanks for all your time, effort, patience and training.

Donations are always welcome and appreciated. If I can't use them, I will know of another rescue or sanctuary
that can. We accept: Blankets, comforters, sleeping bags, large dog houses, large Varikennels or crates.