Month: June 2018

Diamond and Harmony-(rescue No. 6 and 7) also known simply as “The Girls” were rescued October 28, 2016 , from a backyard butcher . They were both very sick upon arrival- underweight, and fighting pneumonia and mange. We nursed them back to health, and now they’re thriving and rambunctious.

It’s fairly rare in animal agriculture for farm animals to get to stay with their relatives or animal friends, so we are grateful to be able to keep these sisters together. They love to spend time with their pen-mate, Firecracker, whom they both love to play and hang with.

Despite being sisters, Diamond and Harmony have distinct and unique personalities- as do all pigs and sisters.

DIAMOND is the sweet and prissy sister. She loves to play in the water and give kisses! She licks our faces just like a dog. DIAMOND’s distinctive marking is the full spot on her nose, whereas Harmony has a half-spot on her nose.

HARMONY is the rough and tumble sister, who seems to always be getting herself into trouble. She’s got a bit of a tom-boy personality and loves playing in the mud. HARMONY’s distinctive marking is the half spot on her nose , whereas Diamond has a full spot on her nose.

Meet Rudy – The fourth rescue and first pot-belly pig. Rudy was rescued on September 3, 2016. He found his way to Farm Animal Refuge after landing in a high-kill shelter as a stray. He was found roaming the streets of Pomona, CA – an area that is not zoned for pot-belly pigs. We traveled to Pomona to pick up Rudy – a pig we were told was a 1.5 year old female, but turned out to be a 3-month old male who was not yet neutered.

Rudy’s first nights here consisted of sleeping in the house on the floor with his rescuers. Rudy adores his dog brothers and mimicked much of their behavior, which explains why he knows how to sit for treats! While Rudy pals around with the other pot-belly pigs, he was most connected to Chance. They shared lettuce , and many naps together.

While Rudy may think he’s a dog, he is very much a pot-belly pig, he is a very big boy, and still growing. Rudy would like to remind all his fans that pigs require special care and most cities have specific zoning restrictions against them.

Nellie was found by a good samaritan in the mountains of San bernandino, CA. It appeared she had been dumped there along with her little house, the only shred of her past life she was left with. That man brought Nellie to his home and held her until a permanent home was found here with us. We first heard about Nellie from social media page dedicated to potbellys that need homes. As her story touched us so much we watched and waited hoping she would find her forever home. It appeared she had once been a loved pet and we wanted her to have the chance at that again, a home with only a few pigs and some dedicated loving owners. Her post kept appearing and after a couple weeks we knew she belonged here. Nellie is the perfect combination of sass and affection. She will immediately roll over for a belly rub but tell you when she is done. Her favorite thing is to do is find a quiet shaded area and to nap the afternoon away.

Bios will be added soon.

Thor is a very special pot-belly pig at Farm Animal Refuge, the fifth addition, who was rescued on September 22, 2016. Thor was thought to be a “mini-pig” , but actually grew to be a full-size pot belly. Thor is a walking, snorting myth buster, proving once again that “mini-pig” is a mythical label attributed to pigs who are actually deprived of nutrients to stunt their growth. Thor’s family relinquished him to Farm Animal Refuge due to his size.

Thor is a very sensitive pig, earning him much admiration from the volunteers and visitors at Farm Animal Refuge who can see through his tough exterior. Thor is very opinionated and definitely has a mind of his own. While Thor also knows how to sit for treats, he does so only on his own terms. He is the gentlest while taking treats and is always making it very clear that he wants a belly rub.

Grace was Rescue No. 9 for us here at Farm Animal Refuge, joining the rescue ranks on March 4, 2017, at only three months old. Grace was born as a dairy cow, but a hernia kept her out of the dairy industry. She was sold to a backyard butcher as a waste product. Luckily, she found her way to us. When she arrived, Grace was very sick. In addition to the hernia, she was underweight with bones showing at only 106 lbs when she should have been twice that, and she was fighting pneumonia.

Our crew had to keep Grace’s stomach wrapped to encourage the hernia to fall back into her abdomen. She enjoyed lots of alfalfa and boundless love to help her with her recovery. Maybe the most supportive force in her complete recovery was her friendship with Firecracker.

Grace now spends her time with her boyfriend India, the black angus steer, and the twins. ( Alfie and Mila). They love to graze in the open field together, play, and never leave each other’s sides- especially when they plot their troublemaking like opening the gate for a stroll to the farm house. India has adored Grace since they first met , and not surprisingly all of our visitors love her too!

Grace is a BIG girl now! She’s expected to be around 2000 lbs. when she is fully grown.

Alice is the first sheep at Farm Animal Refuge, and rescue No. 11. She joined us on June 17, 2017, just as the Future Farmers of America (FFA) season came to an end. Alice’s owner didn’t want to see Alice meet the same fate as the other FFA animals and was surrendered.. One of Alice’s happiest days was when she took her freedom ride in the backseat of our SUV out to Farm Animal Refuge in Campo, CA.

Alice strides to the beat of her own drum. She is full of personality and loves to greet visitors. If she is especially excited, she jumps in the air! She shares her days and nights with our rescue , Jake . They have formed an incredibly strong bond together . It is a truly special friendship .

Rescue No. 8

Firecracker lives up to his name! This spitfire was rescued by Farm Animal Refuge on November 27, 2016. He was being raised at a “sustainability camp” as food , but the girls that were tasked with his care were vegans! The teens petitioned for their camp to spare the pigs, and the camp agreed to release Firecracker to a rescue. Being a farm hog, Firecracker was tougher to place than a pot-belly, but thankfully we are zoned for hogs.

Firecracker spends his day with “The Girls”- Diamond and Harmony- but cherishes his friendship with Grace, the dairy calf. He brought her so much comfort upon her arrival and really helped our shy girl come out of her shell.

As far as personalities come, Firecracker has a big one! His favorite snack is pumpkin. He loves knocking over the poop cart, playing in the mud, and taking baths. One of his favorite possessions is a blanket; he thinks they are great for sleeping, ripping up, and playing tug-o-war! He is a social butterfly here at Farm Animal Refuge and is loved by all of his animal friends.

Rescue No. 16 and No. 17

These two came to us September 30, 2017 with Mama India . They are also known as “ the twins”. They are the younger siblings of India (steer). Both of the twins had been separated from Mama India and were about to be sold to the FFA , just like brother India. Luckily, they were rescued and came with Mama to their permanent home to live out their lives as a family.

Although they are twin Black Angus calves, they are very different. Alfie and Mila have unique personalities.

MILA is more reserved and a little shy with people. She watches from the back while the others come forward. She used to spend a lot of time close to Mama. She slowly came out of her shell and hangs out with the big kids (Grace and India). She loves to be brushed and loves to rub her head on our legs. Mila has more brown in her coat than any of the India’s and very long eye lashes like her big brother.

ALFIE , also known as “little India”, is bold, out- going and very goofy! He is strong , independent, and so silly . He is usually the first of the cows to step forward from the herd. Alfie is curious and interested in anything going on. He loves the cow brush like brother India. They both have the same walk and actions. Alfie is still smaller than his big brother , but growing fast. He has a distinctive brow, and looks very similar to his big brother but with a thicker coat.

Rescue No . 15 – Check out India’s bio! We were informed about a darling calf India not too long after we started the rescue. He was a black angus steer in the FFA program and was saved from slaughter. The first time we met the student tasked with his care, she told us he was named India after his mother. We built a barn for India and waited months to get him home. He stole our hearts from day one.

Flash forward one year… We were talking about India and how sad it was that he didn’t have his mom. We were unable to get any cooperation from students in the program to find her. All we knew was that her name was also India. With some (lots) of Facebook stalking and cold calling… WE FOUND HER!

Upon contact with the ranch, we learned that she was kept with a bull for several months prior to our call. While we were trying to figure out if she was pregnant, we asked when she had her last calf. She had given birth five months prior to our call. She had actually given birth to twins! The twins had already been separated from Mama and were set to be sold to FFA students the following weekend. Luckily, the rancher was very sympathetic to our cause. (Or maybe was just annoyed with all the many photos we sent of our India in a flower crown) . Either way, we were able to take ALL THREE THAT WEEKEND! Mama’s liberation date, and rescue date was September 30, 2017. Taking in three cows (actually four, Mama was pregnant) was a huge task for us , but India deserves the whole world. The least we could do was give him his family. Upon arrival , Mama and India instantly recognized each other after being separated for over a year. The family bond was apparent and very strong. We all watched teary-eyed as they ran to each other at the gate.

We now have Mama India, India(steer) , Mila , and Alfie. On March 29, 2018 , we welcomed our 5th India… Baby Rose.
Mama India is eight years old. She has been pregnant seven times. She has miscarried once and had eight babies. At the time we took her home seven babies had been taken from her. We were able to give her three back, and her last (Baby Rose) will never leave her . She was born free. Mama India is big, beautiful and strong. She loves brushes and she LOVES her babies. She is a great mom to Baby Rose, Mila, Alfie, India and daughter-in-law, Gracie.

Rose’s actual rescue date was September 30, 2017 with Mama India and the twins, Alfie and Mila. We did not know for sure at the time if Mama was pregnant. She is India’s littlest sister and Mama India’s last baby!

Rose is unique to the rescue because she was actually born here and most importantly born free. She has no insecurities or trust issues to overcome like most rescues. Rose knows humans as friends and playmates. She has absolutely no fear at all. Rose spends her time with her mama in the pasture. She loves to run and head-butt.

Sherman was rescue No. 19. He was rescued on February 28, 2018 when he was just hours old. Sherman was not able to latch on to nurse and wouldn’t have made it through the night on an empty belly outside. He was surrendered by the same farmer that gave us Chance.

Sherman required bottle feedings and lots of love from us. He was a great friend to Chance and they spent most of their days and nights together.

This little guy is so full of spunk and personality. He loves to play with the dogs and the pot-belly pigs. He hasn’t quite realized that he is a goat . He makes everyone smile! Sherman still sleeps in the house, but one day he will be a great buddy for Jake.