pigs

Good Morning, Mott!

Mott--rescued from a shelter where he came in as a stray.

I went to let Mott outside after he spent his first night here at the Microsanctuary. Not surprisingly, he was up and waiting for me (though he crashed pretty hard last night and was sleeping soundly…and, we hope, peacefully).

As with human-human first meetings, the period of introductions and getting-to-know-you’s with new residents here is often a bit awkward, with shyness on both sides. Mott, who was described by the shelter as “shy,” is clearly uncertain about humans. We have no idea what his life was like before being picked up as a stray and staying at the shelter for days, so who knows why that is the case.

However (and this is often true as well), he is visibly interested in us; his tail wags frequently, and he frequently pauses to look up at us and take a few big sniffs of the air in our direction.

The promise of a new relationship, based entirely on respect and compassion, is always a wonderful perk to providing homes to rescued farmed animals here at the Microsanctuary.

Mott is enjoying his new surroundings so far, exploring the greenery he can nibble on and the many new smells. He is already very fond of the chickens–though they are not quite sure about him yet, though also curious. Meanwhile, we peer into his soulful, inquisitive eyes and ply him with treats, finding great peace in the knowledge that he has found sanctuary.

May all beings be happy. May all beings be free.

– Justin

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All About Lola

Grassy Lola

Lola the pig has proven herself to be quite photogenic and has gathered quite a fan club since being rescued by Triangle Chance for All on March 31st. As sweet as the maple syrup she smells of, Lola has been so happy and excited to be around caring people and other animals.

Thanks to the generosity of her (and our) supporters, we were able to raise $500 to pay for her vet expenses, including a spay procedure, rabies and other vaccines, and a microchip.

And today, Lola went to the vet!

We decided not to get her spayed yet because she is overweight for her age (living in a tiny pen for four months, she surely got very little exercise), though we were able to get her vaccines and microchip taken care of. She is a healthy, happy lady with a clean bill of health–though running around the yard some more could help!

Instead, Lola will get spayed at her new forever home: PIGS Animal Sanctuary in Shepherdstown, West Virginia! Specializing in their namesake animal, PIGS has been providing sanctuary to animals for 25 years! We met one of their board members, a vegan of many decades, at the auction for Bubba the ram back in January.

PIGS has been kind enough to offer Lola a permanent home where she will be able to roam around with other pigs on eight acres. They have also offered to spay Lola after she arrives on April 14th, so that she can recover in her own time and receive their expert care. Triangle Chance for All will be donating the remainder of the crowdfunding funds to PIGS to help cover Lola’s spay expenses.

We here at Triangle Chance for All have been amazed yet again by the power of one individual to change the lives of so many others around her. She has helped us to learn about the joyful personalities of pigs. We are grateful to Lola for all she has given us, we feel lucky to spend a little more time with her, and we wish her well in her new home with so many new friends to be made.

Postscript

While driving with Lola to the vet’s today, I was passed by a large transport truck, carrying two levels of piglets. They stuck their tiny legs through the holes in the sides of the metal box hurtling down the highway, and they peered out at the landscape speeding by. With Lola asleep behind me, I could feel nothing but pain at the realization that these hundreds of individuals faced a horrific fate … merely because so many humans considered them food, not friends.

– Justin