Two pigs. Two beginnings that were destined to be short-lived. A sanctuary formed out of a need to help, and they found each other.
Maybelle
Over a decade ago, Maybelle was found on a small local farm. She was living in her own faeces inside a cement pit, surrounded by the bodies of her siblings. She was the only one who had survived this hell, where she and her family should never have been.
She was rescued that day. A promise was made to her – that she would be cared for for the rest of her life. She lived in the house for a while, as part of the family, while the world she had survived slowly became something she no longer had to survive.
Maybelle is the entire reason Sleepy Pig Farm Sanctuary exists. Every animal that has come through since, every life given kindness, freedom and the chance to simply be, exists as a response to witnessing the struggles Maybelle endured. She didn’t just get a second chance; she became the reason others got another chance, too.
Petunia
Petunia’s story began a little differently.
The sanctuary owner’s brother was driving past a farm when he saw an unsettling scene – a farmer dragging a piglet by her hind legs. He pulled over, ready to intervene.
The farmer explained that Petunia wasn’t growing as fast as the other pigs her age. That was apparently a sufficient reason to end her life. She was not sick or causing any problems. She was simply smaller than the timeline required. In the industry’s terms, that made her worthless.
She was rushed to a vet in a dangerous state. Petunia was concerningly thin and could barely stand. She had no interest in eating, which was explained by tests that found internal parasites wrapped around her lungs.
She shouldn’t have made it, but she did.
When They Found Each Other
Petunia healed with patience and care. This meant she could meet Maybelle.
They soon connected, forming a bond that persists today.
Today, Petunia is the largest pig in the entire sanctuary. The piglet who wasn’t growing fast enough, who was being dragged by her legs toward death for the apparent crime of being small, is now the biggest animal among many animals who were previously also unwanted. This chosen family is made up entirely of beings who are very much appreciated.
What Their Story Is
A world that tried to throw them away didn’t see their value. It led them to be left to rot in a pit, or to be dragged by their hind legs to face an early death.
In a world that tried to throw them away, they found each other instead. And they know exactly how much they’re worth now. The little part of the world they now reside in is a place of safety that recognises their value and inspires such a way of living to grow.
