Rescue & Adoptions
Past Rescues
Lassen
UPDATE 7/27/06
 Lassen
was rescued and brought to live at Farm Sanctuary in May of 2003.
Born into a 4-H swine project, he was the runt of his litter. Like
many runts, he was tiny, sickly and very weak. Unable to compete
with his stronger littermates for the chance to nurse, he soon became
seriously ill. Rather than single him out for special attention
and medical treatments, the participants in the project chose to
let him languish, deeming him an "acceptable loss." Thankfully,
a local animal control agency was notified that the tiny piglet
was being neglected, and they decided to take action.
Once
animal control was involved, several warnings were issued to the
"owners" of the sow and her litter, but the conditions
did not improve. Lassen's time was running out. Unwilling to let
him die, one of the kind officers intervened and brought him to
the county animal shelter to recover. When the officer called Farm
Sanctuary for help, we happily agreed. As we had hoped, Lassen made
himself at home here at our California Shelter right away. Clearly
pleased and a bit overwhelmed by his sudden good fortune, he learned
early on to appreciate every aspect of the new life he had been
given.
 UPDATE
7/27/06
Now 3 ½ years old, Lassen is no longer the tiny, frail piglet
who arrived at Farm Sanctuary in 2003. He is still quite small for
his age, though, and in many ways, the older pigs treat Lassen like
a kid brother. Occasionally his youthful attitude and boundless
energy can irritate our older pigs, but they love him just the same.
He has become an irreplaceable member of their family.
It
is hard to imagine life at our California Shelter without Lassen.
A dear friend to many of our staff and volunteers, he brings energy
and enthusiasm to day-to-day life on the farm. He is also always
a huge hit with our Saturday tour guests. Usually, as soon as Lassen
hears a group of visitors open the gate to enter the pig barn, he
rolls over onto his side and stretches out all four of his legs
as far as he can. He then waits, with as much patience as he can
muster, for the inevitable belly rubs he knows he is about to receive.
As the tour guests gently stroke the smooth skin on his belly and
giggle at his contented grunts, they often say, "He's just
like a dog, isn't he?" Most visitors who say this are stunned
to discover how smart, friendly and affectionate pigs really are.
This
is how Lassen is changing the world. Once a helpless victim of cruelty
and neglect, he now has the power to help others. Just by being
himself, he is changing the way people view farm animals. He is
a true ambassador for his species…and a pig we feel very proud
and privileged to know.
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