In the middle of the night, residents of a California neighborhood awoke to a ruckus. Seeing a mother pig, her nine piglets, and their potbellied friend running through the streets must have been quite a surprise! 

In response to a three a.m. call, local animal control officers brought all these adventurous pigs to the Chula Vista Animal Care Facility, which turned to our team of dedicated rescuers for help. 

We are so happy to share that homes were found for all of the pigs! And thankfully, we were able to welcome Grace and Jodean to Farm Sanctuary Los Angeles, where our caregivers adore them. Here, they will never need to walk a lonely road in search of safety and shelter.

On factory farms, female pigs are repeatedly impregnated—and many spend most of their lives confined to tiny metal crates during pregnancy and nursing, denied the chance to show affection to and care for their piglets. The industry promotes fallacies that deny the gentle and loving nature of pigs as mothers, claiming that they lay on and crush their babies—but when given the space they need, we see time and again that pigs build nests for their piglets and are careful to keep them safe.

Grace is talkative and sweet, and she shows us daily what a protective mother she is. Yet, despite her best efforts to contain Jodean’s rebellious nature, Grace’s fearless piglet is living it up in the freedom of sanctuary! Both mother and daughter love to splash in the water, but Jodean is the natural swimmer, and she doggy-paddles her way across the pig pond.

It’s so heartwarmingly clear that Grace and Jodean feel at home. In fact, Jodean comes running when caregivers call her name—and immediately rolls over onto her side for belly rubs.

Give the gift of family this holiday season with a one-time donation to Farm Sanctuary in honor of Grace and Jodean! Your support today will benefit their daily care and help us as we keep our hundreds of rescued residents warm and happy through the winter.