09/18/2026
This is a post that I didnāt want to make because itās easier for me to compartmentalize Monday and just move forward but that would be doing this pig an injustice. I wasnāt able to save her life but I can advocate on her behalf and the millions of other faceless, nameless pigs that are born into this world for the sake of someoneās meal.
On Monday afternoon, around 3:30pm I got a message from one of our followers who was headed eastbound on 70. He said there was a pig down on the side of the highway and wanted to know if weād been contacted. Not long after that, posts about the pig started circulating and literally every few seconds my phone was going off, people tagging us, calling us, and messaging us.
Toni immediately made contact with Indiana State Police. She was transferred five times until she was connected to the right territory, but finally got in touch with an officer overseeing the scene. While Toni was communicating with law enforcement, Tanner and I were mobilizing and scrambling to get on the road. In situations like this, every single second counts. We have taken in countless truck jumpers in all stages of life from three weeks old to six months old. Every single one of these pigs comes to us with any number of injuries, not only external but also internal. We see fractured skulls, broken legs, and displaced hips frequently. They are usually battling some kind of infection or bacterial disease as well, like mycoplasma, E. Coli, Rotavirus A or B, or cholsridium just to name a few. Every single one of these pigs that jumps from a truck needs medical attention that usually requires imaging, surgery, or hospitalization.
Toni spoke to the officer on scene and said that we were en route and would be there as quickly as possible. He informed us that another individual had already been called and was on the way as well. Toni explained who we were and clearly communicated what our plan of action as well as our intentions with the pig. Toni pleaded for the arriving individual to be called off, but it ultimately came down to whoever could get there first and get the pig removed so they could open the lane back up.
I donāt provide these details to incite a riot in the comments, please withhold any negative comments about law enforcement in this situation. They arenāt animal rescuers or ACOās, their job is public safety, and they navigated this situation as best they could. I just hope the next time theyāre in this position, weāll be their first call.
Tanner and I continued to head towards Cloverdale on the chance that the other individual didnāt show or something had changed. By the time we reached the mile marker where the pig was, she had already been picked up. I quickly threw up a post about the pig basically pleading that whoever picked her up would reach out so we could get her the medical care she needed. I figured it was a long shot, but it was our only shot.
Tanner and I made the most of our time, we stopped for dinner and grabbed a bite to eatāwe joked that this was the most time weāve spent together in the last 4 months š. We finished dinner and headed back to the truck when my phone buzzed. The individual who picked up the pig reached out and for a moment, I felt hope real hope. Toni made contact with him and he said there were actually two pigs and that he didnāt intend on surrendering them. We tried to offer compensation, but that didnāt sway him, either.
Dozens of Images of this pig were widely circulated on socials. The pile-on of negative comments that are attached to Mondayās post are nothing short of a direct reflection of how the majority of society views these animals, and youāll never truly know how cruel this world is until you spend some time in farm animal welfare. What if this was a dog on the side of the road? Then people would care. There would national outrage that a downed, injured dog was turned over to the first individual that could get thereāsomeone with no good intentions for the dog, at that. If this was a dog there would be some protocol in place- but because itās just a pig, this is somehow acceptable.
Pigs are among the most intelligent animals on Earth. They solve complex problems, learn quickly, recognize faces, communicate with one another, form lifelong friendships, play games, dream while they sleep, and experience fear, joy, grief, and love. Every pig who has found sanctuary here has shown us just how emotionally rich they truly are.
Anyone who has spent time with Trixie, Rhiannon, Theo, Rogue, Elwyn, or any of our pigs, knows they each have unique personalities. They seek affection. They get excited to see the people they love. They comfort one another. And when their lives are threatened, they fight to survive. It was clear she wanted to live, so much so that she threw herself from a moving vehicle onto the roadway.
Animals donāt leap from transport trucks because theyāre confused. They run because they know their life depends on it. Every pig headed to slaughter is an individual with hopes, fears, relationships, and a desire to keep livingājust like the pigs who now call our sanctuary home.
The broader tragedy is that her story isnāt unusual. The only reason we know about her is because she escaped long enough for someone to see her. Billions of pigs will never have that chance.
If her story upsets you, makes you angry, makes you sad, or any emotion inbetween, please consider making the choice to leave pigs (and all other animals for that matter) off your plate.
Tonight, as the sun sets, think of the millions of pigs just like her who wanted to live, but were prodded through a slaughter house instead. Think about the millions of pigs who will never feel grass beneath them, see a sunset or a sunrise, the ones that will never know the kind touch of a human, the ones that never know anything but torture and fear.
Every time we sit down to eat, we can make the choice to partake in the unimaginable suffering OR we can choose compassion and leave animals and their byproducts off of our plates. Itās never too late to make a change and youāll never regret choosing compassion.
Iāve known what my calling was from a very early age. Our rescue efforts have always been rooted in compassion and advocacy. With every single one of these stories I share, I see the small ripple effect it has on people who are willing to listen. Ripples turn to waves and those waves hold an immense amount of power, and before you know it, the sand beneath is moving, causing change in the shore line.
I am ridiculed by some and called names by others, but I am not bothered in the slightest. Pigs deserve so much more respect than we give them as a society and I will advocate for them until my last breath because this is the mountain I was assigned, and I will do everything in my power to show others that it can be moved.
