Spring 2023 updates from JAFAS

It's springtime in piggy paradise. Such a lovely shade of pollen out there!  Achoo!

Fortunately the pigs don't care about pollen. They’re too busy lounging in the sun, exploring the new growth in the woods, chewing on sticks, and rooting around for insects. Those tails are just a-waggin', and our hearts are full. 

So, what's going on in oinkville? Glad you asked! Here's the latest. 

Want to see this content delivered to your inbox as a newsletter? We typically send 4-5 newsletters a year, and we promise to never spam you or share your information. You can opt out anytime. Sign up here.

​Two new rescues!

Major Winchester

Major Winchester the rooster came to us from Greenville, NC, where he was found wandering around a neighborhood inside city limits with no particular place to go. A few residents weren’t thrilled with his loud crowing and called animal control. Fortunately for Winchester, a nice couple scooped him up to safety and brought him here to the sanctuary before he was captured. Now safe, he spends his days with his rooster buddies Herman and Harvey frolicking around, exploring, and having a ball! He’s a beautiful bird, and we are thrilled to provide him a forever home.

Ricky

In early February, local news channels began publishing articles about a scary "wild boar" on the loose in Orange County, NC. The article featured an image of a very hairy pig with long tusks protruding from his face, standing in a patch of woods, staring intently at the camera person. Based on the comments posted under the article, people were actually frightened that this wild boar was a dangerous predator and needed to be captured immediately. As you can imagine, some of the comments were just horrible, implying that he should be shot and processed into bacon.

When Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) learned about the situation, they knew they needed to take fast action. They captured the pig, brought him to their shelter in Chapel Hill, and got him vetted (including a castration and tusk trim). This pig was no dangerous “wild boar” after all. He was just a scared potbellied pig looking for food and shelter. 

Fortunately that pig did eventually find food and shelter, and it's right here at JAFAS with our herd. His name is Ricky,  and he’s the sweetest boy ever. We are honored to share our home with such a beautiful soul. We love you, Ricky!

New quarantine space

Thanks to our handyman extraordinaire Randy Mapes, we now have a new quarantine space. Having a dedicated space to contain newly rescued animals is a must-have for any sanctuary. A separate area allows caretakers to give animals the proper vetting and attention they need while preparing for integration.

Our new quarantine space couldn’t have been timelier. As soon as Randy nailed the last post in the ground, we got a call about Ricky the “wild boar” running loose in Orange County. We were able to take him in immediately – safe in his own area, along with a heated house – while he acclimated to his new environment and got to know some of the other pigs through the fence. By the time we moved him over, he already felt right at home. 
​
Thank you again, Randy, for always making sure our pigs and roosters live a life of luxury here at JAFAS!

Piedmont Feed and Garden Center sponsorship

We are thrilled that our local supply store Piedmont Feed and Garden Center chose our little sanctuary to sponsor during the entire month of March. They set up donation stations throughout the store, and we even had a meet n' greet on Saturday, March 25th to talk to folks about the animals and share information about our mission. We cannot thank Jake, Lilly, and the rest of the staff enough for supporting us and helping us spread the news about JAFAS!

Stormy visits the pigs!

Did you know our pigs are famous? They are! Why else would the mascot of a professional hockey team want to come out for a photo shoot?
​
Stormy, the “ice hog” mascot for Raleigh-based Carolina Hurricanes, made a trip out to JAFAS one muddy afternoon in February to offer some lovely ValenSWINE’s Day gifts for the pigs. He said he wasn’t into picking favorites, but by the looks of it, we think he found his new love – Petey! So adorable! GO CANES! 

Partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill

What an oinkin' fastastic spring semester! We love college students, and it just so happens that college students love pigs. A definite win win! 

Our buddies from UNC Vegans for Peace continue to volunteer every couple of weeks. Regular visits let the students to get to know the animals on a personal level and form deep connections. It’s such a joy to witness. Several students from this program have since graduated and moved on in their journeys but continue to keep in touch and visit when they’re in town. We love our Tar Heel piggy aficionados!

The UNC School of Journalism is amazing! We’ve had a total of four students choose our sanctuary as the focus of their journalism projects over the years, including two feature story writing assignments and two amazing photo journalism projects. We love their enthusiasm for understanding why we need a pig rescue in the first place, focusing on our overall mission here at JAFAS and the problems that come from breeding (there is no such thing as a teacup pig!). This semester, our buddy Mason is writing a feature story about Petey and the plight of farm pigs in commercial hog farming. 

One of our UNC Vegans for Peace volunteers (we’re looking at you, Aleigha!) decided to use JAFAS as the subject of her capstone project for her leadership class in the UNC Department of Education and specifically the NC Fellows program. Her goal is to feature JAFAS's advocacy for animal rights through events, volunteer programs, and community partnerships.  

JAFAS swag is here!

​Want to show off your support for our rescued sweethearts? We have lots of cool swag from our friends at 4Imprint, and they are yours for the taking.
​
We are in the process of adding purchase options for these items to our website, but if you just can’t wait to get your hands on this coolness, email us at jennaandfriendanimalsanctuary@gmail.com. Be sure to include which item(s) you would like (including size and color, if applicable), and we’ll get back to you with more instructions. If you’re local and want to avoid shipping costs, we can arrange a day/time for pickup or delivery.

​Here’s what we have in stock at the moment.

JAFAS t-shirts

What you get: A cotton, long-sleeved t-shirt with the JAFAS logo
Available colors: Seafoam, washed denim, and salmon
Available sizes: Small, medium, large, and extra large
4Imprint description: "These Comfort Colors® long-sleeved tees are made of 6.1-oz, preshrunk 100% ringspun cotton. Fabric is soft washed and garment dyed for added softness."
Cost: $35 (add $5 for shipping)

Insulated travel tumblers

What you get: An 18oz Yowie vacuum travel tumbler with power coat (white JAFAS logo)
Available colors: Purple and lime green
4Imprint description: "These travel mugs are made of double-wall stainless steel with vacuum-insulation keeping drinks hot or cold for longer and features a non-skid foam bottom. The push-on acrylic lid has a thumb-slide closure and the durable matte powder coated finish adds to the style."
Cost: $26 (add $5 for shipping)

Insulated cups

What you get: A 10oz neo vacuum insulated cup with the JAFAS logo
Available color: Light blue (perfect for UNC fans!)
4Imprint description: “Enjoy all your favorite beverages with this vacuum insulated cup. Designed to keep drinks hot or cold for hours! A great cup for enjoying wine, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and more!”  
Cost: $20 (add $5 for shipping)

A special thank you

Photo credit: Jordan Mills

We are truly grateful for all the love and support we receive on a daily basis. It would literally take us all day to thank every person who is part of our piggy paradise. Whether you've come out to visit, donated to one of our fundraisers, sent us an email, or responded to one of our social media posts, we appreciate you! Please know that it brightens our day whenever we're able to share our little slice of heaven.

A special MUCHAS GRACIAS to these folks and organizations! 

• Randy Mapes for being the most AWESOMEST handyman EVER.
• Kerry Thompson for all her hard work on our website.. 
• Vivian and Tina at J and J Produce in Eli Whitney for the hundreds of apples, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. 
• Dr. Shannon Swink from Hoof and Horn for coming out regularly to give vaccines, administer hoof and tusk trims, etc. 
• Humane Homes Wildlife Removal for continuing to safely capture and remove flying squirrels from homes and releasing them in our peaceful woods.  
• Piedmont Feed and Garden Center for supplying us with pig and chicken food, straw, and other supplies.
• Jordan Mills for coming out and taking some amazing photos of the pigs.
• Weaver Street Market in Southern Village and TABLE in Carrboro for the ongoing produce donations. 
• Our neighbor Sara Gress for feeding the crew when we're away.
• Walk & Wag for taking care of all the animals when we have to leave town.

How can you help?

So glad you asked! You can:

• Donate through a Facebook fundraiser or directly through our Donorbox fundraising page. 
• Support JAFAS in your Facebook birthday fundraiser. 
• Sponsor one or more of our pigs on a recurring basis. Check out our sponsorship page for more information, including a bio for each pig. 
• Give through a corporate giving program like Benevity (usually companies will match a certain percentage of donations).
• Volunteer your time on a Saturday morning to scoop poop and socialize with the pigs.
• Share the sanctuary with your friends and family.