These are not directed at people who have extenuating circumstances that have to find a new home for their pig. These ARE directed at those who buy a pig despite being given the facts and warnings, but refuse to listen. While I should not judge others and their reasons, some of these excuses are so stupid that I wish there was a greeting card line to address this problem. Some of these people would definitely be getting one from me. 

I'm just posting a reminder, PLEASE do your research before rehoming your pig, and if you're a breeder, please do your research before selling a pig to people. Hoarders are real, they collect pigs like junk hoarders collect junk. Usually these animals are not very well taken care of. Someone who offers to take all pigs around them needs to be watched. Just because a person says they have room doesn't mean they can physically or finanically care for them. Some people have a mental disorder. (I'm not saying this is the case with anyone in particular) but some people do and in these cases, the pigs suffer the worst of it. 

Recently, a herd of pigs was taken from a home, they were extremely ill. The owner had some medical problems and wasn't able to care for them. There were some who died prior to them being seized, several didn’t live long enough to get to new homes and the person who took them all in wasn't sure if the rest would even survive, but they're being cared for and healthy now. that's all that matters. Don't hand your pig over to someone because they say they can take them. If you care, ask questions, make sure the person offering has the mental capacity to make this kind of decision. Ask how many pigs they currently have, ask for pictures of their property and yard. Visit that home and look for yourself. If you can't do it, ask if someone you trust to visit. Ask a lot of questions. Ask if any of their pigs have passed away and why, ask about finances, ask about their experience. Do they have a secured, fenced in yard? Ask if they have other animals, like big dogs or horses that are known to not make great companions for pigs and often result in injuries and even death. If they do, make sure there are accommodations to keep them separated at all times. Make sure they have a vet that sees pigs and call and verify this. Although due to privacy laws, a vet may not be able to give you specific information, but they may be able to drop subtle hints about someone who maybe isn't appropriate to care for your pig. If you care about YOUR pig, you'll find out and research who you're giving your pig to. Just because someone has the money to buy a pig doesn't mean they can care for one. 

While I'm on a rant, if you feel like a pig is in bad conditions or in an unfavorable situation, call someone and let them know. Don't walk away. If you pay money to buy a pig from bad conditions, you just paid someone to continue doing what they're doing This is NOT a rescue. This is a purchase. Own your decision. I am not referring to situations where a pig is in danger, if you truly feel like a pig will die if you don't intervene now, follow your heart and do what you have to do to ensure that pig is safe. Rehoming is rehoming, taking in an unwanted pig or a pig that can no longer live where they’re currently at. Rescue is when a pig has no one or no where to go. Caught running wild, taken from animal control or seized from properties where the conditions were uninhabitable. Getting a pig from a rescue and giving a home is a rescue. Paying for a pig doesn't make it a rescue. You bought a pig. Again, if conditions are that poor, call the authorities and offer the pig a home when you call, but don't condone the conditions or behavior by giving someone money which essentially is all they wanted to begin with. Your decision on how you acquire a pig is your business, wether you decide to buy a pig, accept a pig into your home that needs to be rehomed or adopt from a rescue or rescue one yourself, it is a personal choice. I don't know all the answers, but what I do know is paying for a pig is not the same as rescuing a pig and it's disheartening to see people say they rescued a pig when in fact they bought a pig. Again, if you see conditions that aren't favorable for pigs, tell someone! If you don't, you're allowing them to stay in those conditions and are also to blame for what happens to them by keeping it to yourself. And it's not going to stop because you buy a pig and then tell others how bad it is. They got what they wanted, they sold a pig. Now they will breed again and sell more. But there are organizations that can help. There are people that can be called to intervene. This doesn't always mean someone's pigs will be taken from them, but, maybe someone needs some guidance, maybe someone needs some direction and education or maybe someone doesn't need pigs. That's up to the authorities. But not speaking up is just as bad as telling them everything looks good when you know it doesn't. These pigs depend on us to be their voice.
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Just keep this in mind...Rescue isn't something people pat you on he back for, you don't rescue for the glory, you don't get rich by rescuing pigs, you don't always get the praise you do deserve when you literally save a pigs life, but you do get the satisfaction of knowing you gave a pig another chance. You rescue because you care more about the pig than you do about the notoriety. Usually rescue is teamwork, whether that be transportation of the pig(s) or financial help or advice, sometimes even just the moral support. But in the end, people rescue because they care and cant bare the thought of another pig dying because someone didn't do their homework or got sick of the responsibility or moved, got divorced, had a baby, went off to college or just lost interest. No one wins, especially not the pig who didn't ask to be bounced from home to home.

Lastly, we wanted to mention when you give your pig away, your pig could very well end up in the hands of people who do NOT have good intentions. People who have NO business working with animals, people like the ones who were recently arrested in Virginia where someones PET pig was brought in and the shelter worker called her boyfriend and they TORTURED and MURDERED that pig for a holiday BBQ. This may not be an isolated event, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors, but you do need to realize that dropping your pig off at an animal shelter could end with tragedy like this.