His camp “caretakers” thought Lucas was just fine living in a roofless, fenced-in, cement-floored enclosure with a worn-out garden hose as a bed. The poor little pig was not even given adequate food and water, and suffered from skin-cracking sunburn and mange.
To make matters worse, the clock on Lucas’ life was also ticking quickly down, as he was on “lease” to the camp from a company that planned to slaughter him for pork when the season ended. But a kind woman who had met and bonded with Lucas on her nature walks around the camp was unable to bear the horrific thought of her friend dying in a slaughterhouse, so she set out to save him. After approaching camp officials about Lucas’ situation, the pig’s determined rescuer managed to negotiate his release from the company just 48 hours before he was scheduled to be trucked away.
Through diligent effort, Lucas’ savior managed to find a home for him at a ranch-shelter in southern California, where he spent three years roaming their wide-open pastures, interacting with children, and spending lazy days with his best friends, a pair of dogs. But when the ranch faced foreclosure, Lucas needed another home.
