First neglect, then complete abandonmentWe rescued Abigail from a rural area outside of Charlotte, NC in the spring of 2021. Similar to Tabitha's story, Abigail had been abandoned by her owners and left to fend for herself in a trailer park. Folks would give her food and water sometimes, but no one was officially taking care of her. She had no shelter from the weather, so she slept under porches and trees as she could find.
One of the saddest parts of Abigail's story (as if her abandonment wasn't bad enough) is that she's terribly disabled with arthritis in her feet. Her hooves had never been trimmed, so she was forced to walk on either the dorsal sides of her feet or her elbows. And, with her abandonment, she had lost a significant amount of weight in a fast period of time, leaving lots of loose skin that dragged behind her like a wedding veil. Poor Abigail was the poster child of severe neglect. When we arrived to rescue her, she was lying in a pile of beer cans behind someone's trailer with a look of sheer hopelessness on her face. We had never seen such a pitiful sight. We weren't even sure she would make it home. Read Abigail's story. A space to call her ownToday Abigail lives in her own space apart from the other pigs. Unfortunately, she can't be integrated into the herd because of her disabilities. But don't worry, she's not alone. She has her rooster buddies to keep her company. They sit with her in her straw bed, and sometimes you can even see them riding on her back. It's such a sight!
Abigail's days of living in squalor are over. She now has her own space with a little house full of comfy straw and a radio that plays classical music. She has plenty of fresh water, and she gets two healthy meals a day. She loves scratches behind her ears, and she always lets us know when she's ready for a treat by standing at the gate. Apples and grapes are her favorites! We sometimes hide them around her pen in an effort to get her moving around a little more. She loves her games of hide and go seek! Even though her hooves are trimmed, Abigail still walks on the dorsal sides of her feet. But the good news is that she no longer walks on her elbows. She also gets regular shots of Adequan and pain medication as needed for her arthritis. She moves around quite well these days, but still not like a normal pig. As long as she isn't in pain, we are thrilled. Abigail didn't deserve the life she had before we rescued her, but we promise this beautiful soul will live like royalty for the remainder of her days. |
Meet the rest of the herd
Click or tap a photo to learn more about our herd members. Who will capture your heart?