Rescue & Adoptions

In Loving Memory

Harry

Harry was just a tiny piglet when he arrived at Farm Sanctuary in 1995. His mother and several other pregnant sows had been abandoned in a Nevada town after their "owner" decided she did not want to care for them anymore. Fortunately, the local humane society intervened and after the mothers-to-be gave birth, they were brought to our California Shelter, alongside their babies, to live out the rest of their lives in peace.

Harry's life at Farm Sanctuary was indeed full of peace, as well as happiness, comfort and affection. Loved deeply by his caregivers from the moment he arrived and encouraged to be who he wanted to be, Harry figured out early on that he was living in a very special place. He loved wading in the cool water of our pig pond, rolling in the mud on hot summer days, and taking naps in his favorite straw-filled corner of the pig barn. Sweet and gentle with everyone, he enjoyed greeting visitors with a happy grunt and a sniff. In the end, he was blessed with ten long years here, spent in the company of loyal friends and under the watchful eye of our shelter staff.

Like most pigs - and humans - Harry loved to eat. So when he did not get up for his usual morning meal one day, his caregivers knew something was wrong. Seeing that he was in pain and unable to stand, they called a veterinarian out to the farm. After performing a variety of tests on Harry, the doctor concluded that he had sustained an injury to a disc in his spine. He explained that this injury made standing or walking impossible for Harry and that it was too serious to be repaired. Sadly, spinal injuries and other skeletal problems are very common among modern-day farm pigs. They are bred to grow so large, so quickly, that their backs and legs often prove too weak to support their weight. This was not the first time we had seen such an injury affect one of our rescued pigs.

Although we did not want to say goodbye to Harry, we could see he wanted us to let him go. He was not coping well with his decreased mobility, and he seemed to be in pain, despite the medicines we gave him during his last few days. Not wanting to see him suffer, we made the decision to have him humanely euthanized. As Harry closed his eyes and gently fell to sleep, we kissed his face and gave silent and heartfelt thanks for a life well lived.