How do you know which pig rescues are good and which are not so good?

The quick and easy answer is...you don't. Unfortunately, there are pig rescues scattered around the entire world and unless you spend significant amounts of time at these rescues, you wouldn't know whether or not they're good or bad. So, how can you safely donate? There are people out there that will take advantage of the kind and giving hearts of the pig community. We have seen it in the past and I am sure some of these professional scammers will be around in the future. Many rescues depend on the public to help and there is nothing wrong with asking for help. As a matter of fact, we encourage people to reach out and help these pig rescues. These pigs were products of someone getting a pig and later not wanting the responsibility, cost, behavioral issues, etc. These pig rescues stepped up and took in the undesirable and homeless pigs. They still do. BUT, there are some who are not that forthcoming. There are some that will take your money, but not take care of the pigs. These are things you should consider before giving your hard earned money to anyone who says they have a pig rescue. These are tips, not directions on which pig rescues/sanctuaries you should give to. Ultimately the decision is yours, but please do your research and don't expect that everyone has the same heart as you do, people are sometimes just lurking and waiting to take advantage. Please do not read this and think that ALL pig rescues are somehow fraudulent or not on the up and up. Many do not seek public support, so they may not be a 501c3 nonprofit charity, but that does NOT make them a bad rescue. That makes them an independent rescue who is grateful for any donations, but they do not necessarily solicit for them. This does not mean they are somehow less deserving, it just means filing the necessary paperwork to become a nonprofit was not worth the money, time or energy to file in some cases. Our rescue page can be found by clicking here. If we hear about a "bad" or undesirable rescue, we remove them from our list. If you know of a rescue on our list that needs to be removed, please let us know!

There are differences between a rescue and a sanctuary. A rescue typically houses pigs that they would like to find a "forever" family for, these are usually the pigs that needed to be rehomed for one reason or another. Perhaps one that was at an animal shelter that would make a great pet pig. A sanctuary is a place a pig will stay at forever. The type of pig that may fall into this category is an elderly pig who may not survive the transition to a new home. Some of these organizations are a little of both, they have some adoptable pigs and some that will call that their home forever, but some have distinguished themselves as a rescue or sanctuary as well. Be sure to check and be sure they're registered with the IRS legally. You can use this link to check their nonprofit status. http://www.guidestar.org. 

Examples that may indicate a red flag or situations that you may need to do some additional research.

• A legitimate rescue should have some kind of public page, whether that be Facebook or a website that you can go to in order to read more about their organization. People with nothing to hide will show you exactly what is going on, so if the rescue you're thinking of donating to doesn't have an updated website or page that you can access, this is a red flag and you need to ask more questions. 
• A rescue that doesn't post updates or pictures of the animals in their care is a red flag. Most rescues are proud of their accomplishments and happy to report updates on pigs we have grown to know and love. If you do not see that being done on a regular basis, there is a problem. 
• A rescue that CONSTANTLY asks for money is a problem. We certainly know that donations are not only wanted and accepted, but also needed, but a rescue should be, for the most part, self-sustaining. When an organization solely depends on the public for financial help, these type of organizations are usually not around for long. People donate because they want to help, however, when people don't donate and animals aren't able to eat? That is a red flag. 
• A rescue that seems to rescue an awful lot of pregnant pigs to explain the number of piglets born there is a red flag. A good rescue will neuter and spay as many as possible, often times placing a huge strain on their personal finances. However, good rescue/sanctuaries know the health implications of NOT spaying and neutering and also know there are far too many unwanted pigs out there now. If a rescue seems to have an unusually high amount of piglets being born there, then there are likely some "accidents" taking place and no spay/neuter program. A good rescue will ensure the animals are not placed there intact or separated from other pigs until the spaying/neutering procedure can take place.
• A rescue that doesn't ever take pictures of the property, but only close up pictures to post, is another red flag. To determine if animals are being taken care of appropriately, you first need to see the rescue, in general, as well as the overall body of a pig, not just a cute face. It happens far too often that only face shots are taken and later details emerge that show animals weren't taken care of as promised. Once these situations are exposed, sometimes, it is too late for some of these pigs. 
• If there are constant gofundme's, or other platforms for raising money, that should put up a huge red flag. These 3rd party fundraising sites take a percentage of the money raised, but it makes it virtually impossible to get your money back should you find out about any fraudulent activity later. A good rescue will have a process in place that is more secure. Paypal, checks, feed store or vet numbers for donations are appropriate. These are all services or ways to safely donate with an option to report should you find out the details weren't presented accurately.
• A lot of pig rescues and sanctuaries have a 501(c)3, what is this? It is a nonprofit/tax exempt status. This is a donation that you can use as a tax deduction on your personal/business taxes. What about the rescues/sanctuaries that don't have a 501(c)3? Should I not donate to them? You can donate to whomever you want to, a lot of rescues do NOT have nonprofit status, although technically, they are not for profit, they haven't filed the paperwork to obtain the tax exempt status. It does cost money to achieve this and while it has benefits to larger rescues, it doesn't have many benefits for smaller organizations, especially for those rescues who don't receive many public donations. So just because a rescue doesn't have a 501(c)3 status doesn't mean they're not legitimate, it just means it wasn't worth the money, time or paperwork to file for this. It is YOUR job to determine if the rescue supports the same values as you. I have known rescues that DID have 501(c)3 that weren't necessarily one I would donate to and I have seen many many that did not have this nonprofit status that I would give my last dollar to. If someone claims to be a nonprofit, ask for their information and verify that using the https://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Search-for-Charities link to search for the organization. If you aren't able to verify their status, this is a red flag.
• If the rescue you're considering making a donation to doesn't have a veterinarian, red flag should immediately go up. Any rescue or sanctuary that accepts or has accepted pigs should have a vet that they can contact for emergencies. Granted, a lot of the more seasoned rescues have found ways to treat a lot of illness within their organization and have enough experience to treat themselves, they will still have a vet that is familiar with them that provides guidance to a degree. If that vet has never heard of them or doesn't know who you're talking about, that may be an issue. You may have caught a new vet to the practice or someone could be flat out lying about the pigs, the medical care or both. Anyone who has a pig should have a relationship with a veterinarian. 
• A rescue that is legitimate and solicits help form the public should also have a policy that allows for visitors at times. Maybe not all the time, but there should be some kind of open house every so often so people can see the facility and its' animal residents. If the rescue you're considering donating to refuses to allow visitors, this is a red flag. 

 
Examples of good rescues/sanctuaries?

• A good rescue has their facility in order. They have a plan in place for adoptions; as well as surrendered animals. An excellent rescue knows their limits, they won't bring in additional pigs they cant afford. There will always be a sad story to accompany the request and most will try and help with placement, but good rescues will not overstep their full capacity. 
• A good rescue will NOT adopt out an intact pig. This kind of rescue understands the importance and will not contribute to the problem by allowing a family to adopt an intact pig. 
• A good rescue will have a process in place for adoptions. They will not hand a pig over to just anyone. They screen potential adoptive families with a lot of scrutiny because they want to be sure this pig is the right pig for the right family. They also want to be sure the family is prepared for a pig and has appropriate accommodations. 
• A good rescue will be transparent about their funding/spending should they solicit community donations. A nonprofit has to report this information and it is a matter of public record, although difficult to find, it can be done. A rescue that accepts donations in the way of money will usually also have a request about what funding is needed for, so you can stay tuned for updates about the situation and follow through. 
• These good pig rescues/sanctuaries will also help new and upcoming organizations. They will take someone under their wing and show them what works best for them and how to do routine maintenance type things. A good rescue will listen and apply advice from the "old-timers" (so to speak), maybe not all of it will be applicable, but you can typically see who has support from the well known/established rescues and who doesn't. 
• An excellent rescue will allow visitors and will ask for volunteers to come help. Sometimes there are natural disasters or events that may prohibit visitors from coming, but this should be short lived and not a permanent action. Most of the pig rescues live on the same property where the rescue/sanctuary is located, so there may be some that wish to be private and don't want people on their property scrutinizing everything they've worked so hard for. And we must respect that. However, a rescue that doesn't ever allow any visitors is still a red flag. If there is NO ONE in the pig community that can vouch for their organization based on a personal visit, I would have a hard time believing there isn't something they don't want anyone to see. Most established rescues/sanctuaries have had someone else in rescue come over to visit or assist them at some point, typically, there is a few people that can vouch for them, that is what you need to look for. There are exceptions, inviting strangers onto your personal property and having to entertain someone isn't ideal and some of the smaller rescues/sanctuaries don't have insurance coverage that would cover an injury sustained on the property, should someone have an accident. Most of the bigger organizations do have a liability policy in place and appropriate coverage for accidents. Let me add, some rescues have unwanted pigs because the pig(s) aren't exactly what you would call "social". Not all pigs are big balls of love like others, so they may have a rescue or sanctuary full of unadoptable pigs that will live their lives out where they're at and do not do well with visitors. However, if you have care-type concerns, call the animal control or humane society where they live and let them know of your concerns regarding the care, or lack thereof, for the pigs on their property and they can do a welfare check. Just understand not everyone wants strangers on their property, at their home and it isn't a right of ours to demand it. 
• A great rescue takes the time to educate others in the pig community. They are active and helpful to as many as possible. Granted, they may not always have the perkiness of other pig parents, but remember, they have property full of other peoples' pigs, so keep that in mind as you come across responses they may have made. 
• A good rescue knows when to say no. Unfortunately, none of them can solve the problem of the overabundance of unwanted or homeless pigs, there are far too many breeders in relation to the little demand there is for pigs. There are times when there are tears from both the surrendering family and the rescue, but a rescue still has to say no because they know they can't take "just one more". 
• A good rescue has a sponsorship program in place to help offset the costs of these pigs. They have some kind of community project to engage the public and actively create ways to make donations something that will give participants a sense of pride for being a part of their organization. 
• An excellent pig rescue has an emergency plan in place. They have funds or people to the side in case there is some kind of personal emergency or death in order to ensure the animals continue receiving the excellent care. 
• An awesome rescue will send you thank you for your donation letters or emails. A rescue/sanctuary that is tax exempt will ensure you get a receipt of some kind for tax purposes. Some may even offer incentive such as coffee mugs, stickers, t-shirts, or even the honor of naming a pig. 

These are guidelines to follow, red flags that should alert you that there my be issues. These are things I have personally dealt with in the past and can attest to now. Ask around, ask direct questions, email or privately message the rescue you intend to donate to and chat with them. Explain your interest and ask them about their organization. The ones with nothing to hide will happily answer your questions, and are the great rescues that you should consider donating to. The ones with no response and/or answers that don't satisfy your thoughts or concerns, dig deeper or do not support that rescue. It is not to say that is isn't a worthy cause, maybe they're busy, but when asking for public help, a rescue/sanctuary should be available to chat with you for a few minutes. Please remember, these rescuers ARE busy, they don't have a lot of money, some live paycheck to paycheck and could use the help. Do NOT let this be a deterrent to donating, just do some groundwork and make sure the rescue you chose DOES have a worthy cause and IS doing good by the animals. Always keep in mind the difference between a rescue and  a hoarder. There are both out there and each call themselves a "rescue", it is up to you to determine which one they actually are. Be sure you know the facts before supporting anyone who calls themselves a rescue. There are too many scam artists out there that will take advantage of kind hearted people. This is meant to serve as a reminder to do some research before giving your money to someone who may not have great intentions.

These are the "rescues" you need to be cautious about. Know who you are giving your money to.

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