About Pig Harmony

What I originally wanted was a full-fledged farm pig for a pet. However, the more research I did, the more I realized that might not be so practical since their life-spans are short, they are prone to many health issues since they are bred to be slaughtered by the age of 6 months (and that was not my intent), their genetically-engineered, morphed size (topping out at 800+ pounds when full grown) all had to be considered.

A friend of mine told me that her neighbor had this cute, lonely potbellied pig that belonged to his ex-wife who moved away and left the pig behind. Gracie would cry out for attention and when I went to say hello to her through the fence, she flopped over for a belly rub. She instantly stole my heart. For days, I contemplated the idea of adopting her.

This time, I ventured 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 handle. She was scary! But Dave, my husband, insisted. “We said we’d take her and we’re not going back on our word.”

Yikes! Now what!?

I knew nothing about pigs nor how to care for them. I jumped onto the World Wide Web and started doing some research. www.pigs4ever.com was one of the first of many sites I stumbled upon and spent much time studying. From there I was introduced to other, very helpful links (which you will find on my website). I asked tons of questions, joined group lists, etc. The people were great; they were honest and supportive and helpful. I soon learned that Gracie was going through her heat cycle because she was not spayed. Females go through 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; which is why it is 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. THIS IS HOW I GOT STARTED IN RESCUE.

We ventured forward and after finally coaxing Gracie into her crate, home we went. Pigs are highly intelligent and very sensitive. I was concerned that she would become depressed and die from a broken heart. Instead, she blossomed! She had the company of other animal friends, a yard in which to roam, her own piggy house with plenty of fresh, clean blankets, a pool of her own, regular meals, lots of attention and of course, routine veterinary care.

The bald patches (caused by mange) filled in to a full, luxurious coat and her flanks filled out. We bonded quickly and to this day, she is still “mama’s little girl - my shadow.” She is a very docile, easy going pig.

About a year after rescuing Gracie, there was another “stray” at a shelter that we brought in, had spayed and found her a home. Then there was another, and then another. As the months and years went by, I went from telling people that “I’m not a rescue” to having to convince myself that quite possibly, maybe I am. The fact is, I consider myself to be more of a Piggy Social Worker. These pigs all have their stories and most of them are quite sad. Some of the ones we have taken in have since been placed, some are awaiting placement and some will never leave. There are no guarantees in rescue and each one we bring in is always a gamble. Most of my placements are done by networking and thorough screening.