About Us
Our beloved Jenna
Jenna and Friends Animal Sanctuary is a 2.73-acre property outside of Chapel Hill, NC for rescued animals, including pot bellied pigs, farm pigs, chickens, and guinea pigs. We started our dream of rescuing animals in late 2015, and now we are well on our way with nine pigs, four roosters, two guinea pigs, and a dog. All of these animals were rescued in one way or another. Keep reading to find out more about our crew!
Our sanctuary is named after our beloved dog and best friend Jenna, pictured here. She deeply touched our lives in so many ways. We just had to keep her sweet memory alive in our name so she can serve as a constant inspiration and reminder that our mission is and always will be to rescue, care for, and provide love and compassion to our animal friends as long as we live.
Our sanctuary is named after our beloved dog and best friend Jenna, pictured here. She deeply touched our lives in so many ways. We just had to keep her sweet memory alive in our name so she can serve as a constant inspiration and reminder that our mission is and always will be to rescue, care for, and provide love and compassion to our animal friends as long as we live.
Meet our rescues!
Baby Maggie
Little Maggie came to us from a lovely lady in Durham who knew Maggie needed a better life. She purchased Maggie from a breeder as a tiny little baby (much too young to be away from her mama), and was keeping her in a crate in her apartment. It didn't take long for her to realize that this was not a good situation. Unlike the lies that breeders tell you, there is no such thing as little micro "teacup" pigs - those are baby pigs who grow up to be full-sized pot bellied pigs like Maggie. And pigs don't belong in an apartment. They need soil and earth. And above all, they need to be socialized with other pigs.
Maggie is a great reminder for us to just say NO to breeders and YES to supporting rescues and sanctuaries that provide loving homes for animals.
Maggie is a great reminder for us to just say NO to breeders and YES to supporting rescues and sanctuaries that provide loving homes for animals.
Miss Lucy
Miss Lucy loves her breakfast
Miss Lucy was dropped off at a friend’s house on a cold night with no note or explanation about her situation. It was a freezing, dark night, and our friends literally drove up in their driveway to find the crate with this scared pig shivering and wondering her fate inside.
Lucy is a very gentle, docile pig who often tends to root around the yard by herself. She’s a very wise pig who will stare you directly in the eyes – right into your soul. She definitely understands that she is living in paradise with us, and she lets us know her appreciation every time she gets a chance. She loves giving gentle nudges when we are in the barn. One of the sweetest things she does every morning is sit in the exact same spot by the gate, waiting for us to come out with breakfast. We love Miss Lucy!
Lucy is a very gentle, docile pig who often tends to root around the yard by herself. She’s a very wise pig who will stare you directly in the eyes – right into your soul. She definitely understands that she is living in paradise with us, and she lets us know her appreciation every time she gets a chance. She loves giving gentle nudges when we are in the barn. One of the sweetest things she does every morning is sit in the exact same spot by the gate, waiting for us to come out with breakfast. We love Miss Lucy!
Miss Mandy
Miss Mandy was our first rescue
Little Miss Mandy was our very first rescue! Alerted by a Craigslist post, we found out that this little baby – only a couple of months old at the time – was living in a small crate surrounded by barking dogs in a tiny apartment in Graham, NC. We also found out that the owner suddenly had to move out of her apartment and had no intention of taking Mandy with her. We immediately took action and brought her home to live with us. She was a scared little girl, screaming all the way from the car to the barn.
Now Miss Mandy has completely recovered from her awful experience as a little baby. She runs and plays and even has a boyfriend Bobby! She is quite the little snuggler, too. She spends her days exploring her yard looking for new adventures, and that cute little tail is always wagging! Her favorite treats are spaghetti squash and grapes.
Now Miss Mandy has completely recovered from her awful experience as a little baby. She runs and plays and even has a boyfriend Bobby! She is quite the little snuggler, too. She spends her days exploring her yard looking for new adventures, and that cute little tail is always wagging! Her favorite treats are spaghetti squash and grapes.
Miss Daisy
Miss Daisy says hello to Anna
Miss Daisy came to us from the Durham, NC County Animal Shelter. We don’t know her situation, but apparently someone found her wandering around the Durham area, and she was taken to the shelter and immediately put on the list for a livestock auction. Fortunately our friend Bridget Munger contacted us to see if we could take this sweet baby, and obviously we said yes! Bridget attended the auction and “won” Miss Daisy. Apparently some of the auction attendees were making bacon jokes, which made her rescue even more urgent!
Now Miss Daisy lives an extremely comfortable life here with us. She is definitely the dominant one of the bunch, bossing everyone around and making sure she gets her way. I guess you can say she’s the mother of the group. She loves her food, especially her mid-day snacks, which can be anything from sweet potatoes, apples, grapes, squash, and zucchini. She also loves her belly rubs, and will flop over in a second to give you better access.
Now Miss Daisy lives an extremely comfortable life here with us. She is definitely the dominant one of the bunch, bossing everyone around and making sure she gets her way. I guess you can say she’s the mother of the group. She loves her food, especially her mid-day snacks, which can be anything from sweet potatoes, apples, grapes, squash, and zucchini. She also loves her belly rubs, and will flop over in a second to give you better access.
Bobby
Bobby loves his new home . . . and Miss Mandy
Bobby is a beautiful, sexy boy! From our understanding, he was living with a family that was planning to “fatten him up” for dinner. After a good Samaritan finally convinced the family to surrender him, he lived in a foster home for a little while. The foster home was not ideal for our sweet boy, so the search for a permanent home became even more important. Once we heard the story, we started making room for our little Bobby, including getting him neutered ASAP. We cannot thank Bridget Munger enough for making the long journey to bring him to us!
As soon as Bobby came to live with us, he and Little Miss Mandy took to each other immediately. They were cuddling and nudging noses in just hours. Now they are totally inseparable. I have no doubt that their deep love for each other is nourished by the fact they both came from horrific beginnings. We are so happy Bobby is here!
As soon as Bobby came to live with us, he and Little Miss Mandy took to each other immediately. They were cuddling and nudging noses in just hours. Now they are totally inseparable. I have no doubt that their deep love for each other is nourished by the fact they both came from horrific beginnings. We are so happy Bobby is here!
Larry
Larry loves his forever home!
Larry came to us from the local kill shelter. He had spent a year in and out of the shelter after animal control had picked him up running loose on several occasions. Someone claimed him at one point but then later decided to surrender him to the shelter. When we learned about Larry's situation, we just knew we needed to step in and provide him a forever home. Larry loves his new buddies (especially Little Petey the Farm Pig!) and exploring the woods, but he especially loves lounging in the sunshine! We are sure he's making up for lost time after living so long in a windowless stall at the shelter. Welcome home, Larry!
Little Gertie
Miss Gertie is our little pink "baby"
Miss Gertie is our little pink “baby” of the bunch. We won her in a livestock bid at the Durham County Animal Shelter. We took several hundred dollars with us to make sure she didn’t end up in the wrong hands, but fortunately the bidding stopped at 90 bucks!
We really don’t know anything about Miss Gertie’s past, since she was found as a stray. However, we do know for certain that she was malnourished and neglected as a baby due to her small size. Unfortunately, many miniature pig breeders do this on purpose to keep their pigs small and more attractive to potential buyers (the “micro pig” farce). Miss Gertie’s little tail has not stopped wagging since she’s come to the sanctuary. She gets plenty of treats and hugs all day. She is a pampered little baby. This doll baby is so thrilled to be loved for a change!
We really don’t know anything about Miss Gertie’s past, since she was found as a stray. However, we do know for certain that she was malnourished and neglected as a baby due to her small size. Unfortunately, many miniature pig breeders do this on purpose to keep their pigs small and more attractive to potential buyers (the “micro pig” farce). Miss Gertie’s little tail has not stopped wagging since she’s come to the sanctuary. She gets plenty of treats and hugs all day. She is a pampered little baby. This doll baby is so thrilled to be loved for a change!
Petey
Little Petey loves pumpkins
Petey is our first rescued farm pig! Petey was found being chased by dogs near Smithfield, NC, scared, tired, and hungry. A wonderful lady named Wendy rescued him from the dogs and took him in until he was able to come here to the sanctuary. Petey was most likely born in a commercial factory farm to be slaughtered and turned into bacon. We don't know how he escaped that hell, but we are so glad he did. Unlike his parents, brothers, and sisters, Petey is one of the lucky ones, because he will never experience hatred ever again. He will live his life being loved and cared for, as all pigs deserve. We are so lucky to have Petey join our herd and can't wait to see how big he gets! In the meantime, he's going to get lots of love and kisses!!
Little Ellie
Little Ellie loves her spacious home
Little Ellie came to us very unexpectedly. We were contacted about an urgent situation in which a young pig was being kept in a tiny crate without proper care, and we took action and brought her home to us immediately. She quickly bonded with Sweet Stella, and this makes us happy. She is still very cautious around people, which speaks to the hell she must have endured before she came him.
Well, good news, Ellie. You never live in a crate again. You will always have fresh water, sunny spots for napping, warm straw for sleeping, and nutritious food for your little belly! Ellie truly went from hell to heaven in one day, and we are so happy she is here. Oh, and did we mention that hew new snuggle buddy is Little Petey the farm pig? They are so adorable together!!
Well, good news, Ellie. You never live in a crate again. You will always have fresh water, sunny spots for napping, warm straw for sleeping, and nutritious food for your little belly! Ellie truly went from hell to heaven in one day, and we are so happy she is here. Oh, and did we mention that hew new snuggle buddy is Little Petey the farm pig? They are so adorable together!!
Pedro
Pedro loves posing for the camera
Pedro and Petunia came to us from a really bad situation in Virginia. They were locked in a very small enclosure, literally living in mud and their own feces. They had no clean water or healthy food. They didn’t even have shade. Apparently the owner was planning to give them to a backyard breeder, but when we found out, our wonderful friend Bridget Munger stepped up with her Piggy Express and brought them home – first to a foster and finally to us.
Unfortunately we lost Petunia, but Pedro is still here, living in paradise! He has a large wooded area to play in, and he never has to worry about clean water, shade, or nourishment ever again. We love watching him running around playing – surely enjoying his freedom. We couldn’t love him any more. We are thrilled to give him a life of luxury for the rest of his sweet life!
Unfortunately we lost Petunia, but Pedro is still here, living in paradise! He has a large wooded area to play in, and he never has to worry about clean water, shade, or nourishment ever again. We love watching him running around playing – surely enjoying his freedom. We couldn’t love him any more. We are thrilled to give him a life of luxury for the rest of his sweet life!
Harvey and Herman
Friends Harvey and Herman love their peaceful life
Harvey and Herman came to us from Sanford, NC, most likely runaways from a cock-fighting operation. They were found hiding in a barn, malnourished and scared. They were fearful for the worst when they arrived here at Jenna and Friends, but they soon learned that they were free from fear and wondering where they would find their next meal.
Now they eat fresh fruit every day and have plenty of fresh water and shelter. They are inseparable friends, which is no surprise, considering the stress they must have endured before the rescue. We are absolutely delighted they are here!
Now they eat fresh fruit every day and have plenty of fresh water and shelter. They are inseparable friends, which is no surprise, considering the stress they must have endured before the rescue. We are absolutely delighted they are here!
Frank
Phoenix
Phoenix is showing off his beautiful feathers
Phoenix (named after our favorite animal activist Joaquin) is a beauty! He arrived very recently via a Craigslist posting, and now he has a forever home here with us and the rest of the crew. Like most roosters, he loves treats (peanuts, especially), and he's really loud! He's very curious about the pigs, and they are about him as well. He's already started exploring the woods and discovering new bugs. He's got the softest feathers, and he doesn't mind being picked up (which is great, because we love to cuddle him!). I have a feeling this little boy is going to be super happy here. Welcome Phoenix!
