Last fall, authorities removed 44 animals, including Lizzie and Robbie pigs, from a cruelty situation in New York’s Finger Lakes region. These survivors are now celebrating their first fall at Farm Sanctuary.

We recently said goodbye to Rhino: a remarkable and spirited piglet whose love for life, despite severe health challenges, inspired and brought us so much joy. Rhino came to Farm Sanctuary with neurological issues — he had a head tilt and trouble balancing. We knew his condition might shorten his life. However, we vowed to make every moment count.

After “this little piggy went to market,” Jack and his friend Allan went home to Sanctuary. The boys—a Yorkshire pig and Hampshire/Duroc cross, respectively—were both raised for production purposes. They met at Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, and are friendly and rambunctious boys with a bit of an eye for trouble. Mischievous behaviors aside, these are signs of social and problem-solving skills which likely helped the boys survive.

From “Charlotte’s Web” to “Babe,” pigs have a way of capturing our hearts. These stories, along with the ones about our friends at Farm Sanctuary, champion pigs as individuals—not meat. Some are spunky, some are mischevous, others shy, but all are sentient and emotive beings who deserve lives free from harm. On National Pig Day, held annually on March 1st, we celebrate our porcine pals and pay homage to the millions of pigs still slaughtered for meat in the United States each year. Each is “some pig” in his or her own way: It’s simply up to us to pay attention.

Missy pig, born on Halloween, had a grim and haunting start to life. She spent her days alone in a solitary pen—a nightmare for pigs, who are social beings and grow distressed without friends, enough space, and stimulation. People didn’t pay much attention to her, either. Now we know that Missy is a friendly and affectionate pig who enjoys attention (and deep belly rubs); however, the farmers who owned her didn’t see her as a friend but as a means of production.

Jenny pressed her snout against the walls of the crate, choking through the blazing heat for a breath of fresh air. She should have spent this kind of day rolling through the cooling mud, coating each outstretched limb with nature’s sunscreen. But her throat was dry; her cramped legs ached. And nobody knew the little pig needed help.

In 2018, Farm Sanctuary added 96 acres of neighboring land to our New York shelter. With that expansion came the “Pig Woods”: an improved living space for our rescued pigs more akin to their natural habitat.

In 1986, Farm Sanctuary launched the farm animal rescue and Sanctuary movement. It continues to grow because others—like our Sanctuary friends at Odd Man Inn—are growing with us.

The public’s love for bacon comes at great cost to pigs like Emmett and Wyatt.

Bitsy was just a piglet when several siblings purchased her and a group of pigs to raise for meat. For reasons unknown, though, her guardian changed his mind. Maybe she won him over. Regardless, she was never slaughtered.