Breeding pigs are kept in horrifying conditions and suffer terribly throughout their lives. Factory farms can keep up to 10,000 pigs in small separate gestation crates that are often barely a foot bigger than they are, leaving them no room to move around. Keeping pigs like this allows them to be used for breeding over and over under these stressful conditions and in this horrible environment.

Princess, a 14-year-old pot-bellied pig suffered in a terrible situation like this for more than a decade. She was kept in a dark stall where she just kept being bred and did nothing but give birth over the years. She never saw sunlight, never felt a kind touch, and never even had a name before her rescue. Inevitably her mental health declined and when she recently gave birth to twelve piglets, she killed eight of them. The farmer who kept Princess in these terrible conditions knows Caitlin Cimini, founder of Rancho Relaxo, who often asked him to please let her save Princess. He finally reached out after this tragic incident when it became clear that Princess couldn’t help him make anymore money.

 

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This rescue was 6+ years in the making. I begged for the farmer to surrender her anytime I was there and he refused because she gave birth over and over and over – which made him money. It wasn’t until the other day while we were there rescuing Pistachio that he agreed. Why? Because she killed her babies and she had grown old. Maybe she killed them because she is blind and couldn’t see them. Maybe she killed them because she’s depressed. I remember the first time I ever saw this beautiful girl. She was in the same exact dark stall that we rescued her from yesterday. She has never been outside. She has never been given a name. She has never been given a treat. She has never been loved. As she was loaded into our ambulance (Rancho mobile), the look on her face was obvious to me – confusion. It was surreal for me to see her leaving that place. It was a similar feeling as the moment I drove Girlfriend off of the hellhole she some from. Years in the making. Promises that I thought were going to be broken. What an incredible day. @arthursacres will be taking this senior babe under their care and spoiling her until her final day on this planet. She already has a pink stall. We also rescued three rabbits who were literally going to be fed to a woman’s dogs and @hhhhfarmrescue will be caring for them. A lot of people keep asking if Pistachio and his mother will be reunited and although I wish every situation could unfold like a blissful Disney movie, it’s just not the reality of rescue. Pistachio has already been in quarantine for 5 days. We don’t want to reintroduce him to any diseases or bacterias. His mother also killed all of his siblings and almost killed him. We would NEVER risk that. Not even for a second. The most important thing is that they are both safe and happy. Thank you all for your continued support. If it wasn’t for all of you, none of this could ever be possible. Please consider becoming a monthly contributor on Patreon (link in @hispees bio or Patreon.com/boochaces)! I will be putting up exclusive Pistachio content over there for you all to enjoy! ❤️

A post shared by Caitlin Cimini @ Rancho Relaxo (@boochaces) on Mar 6, 2019 at 5:01am PST

When Cimini found Princess in her condition with only one surviving piglet (one drowned in a water bowl and two were stillborn), she knew she had to save the piglet. On top of being in distressing mental health condition, the mama pig is also special needs (she’s blind). Therefore, both would require lots of attention and care that one sanctuary could not give to them. Thankfully, Rancho Relaxo reached out to Arthur’s Acres Sanctuary who just knew they also had to help.

 

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Let the healing begin ❤️ first and foremost this is not about us and it never will be. This is about her happiness and her feeling like she is safe . We would never force ourselves on any animal. Right now it just trying to build trust and let her know that human interaction is not bad and does not end in pain. I was in her stall for a half hour before I even spoke a word . I need Princess to know that my smell and my voice are good and no harm will come only treats and love. It breaks my heart to know she has probably never tasted fruit or greens. Everyday I will go in with her and make sure she knows that I will never hurt her and our interactions will always come with treats and a loving presence . Please consider becoming a Patreon to help support Princess’s and others like her long term care. Link is in our profile #pigslove #veganfortheanimals #potbellypigs #teamkatniss #adoptdontshop #someonenotsomething #princess #arthursacres #sanctuary #love #respect #noanimalsharmed #friendsnotfood #withusnotforus

A post shared by Arthur’s Acres Sanctuary (@arthursacres) on Mar 7, 2019 at 12:40pm PST

Arthur’s Acres is giving Princess the love and attention she needs. They even gave her that precious name. Meanwhile, Pistachio, the only surviving piglet is doing great at Rancho Relaxo! He learned to use the litter box on his second day, rearranged his playpen all by himself, and communicates excellently.

We are so happy there is a happy ending in sight for these pigs. Pistachio will never know the kind of suffering his mother endured, and Princess will live out her life in the safety and peace she never knew before. We are thankful that sanctuaries like Rancho Relaxo and Arthur’s Acres exist to save the lives of these animals who deserve so much better than the treatment they receive for the sake of the food industry.

For more wonderful information about pigs, see 10 Phenomenal Reasons to Love Pigs, 8 Things You’ve Never Known That Pigs LOVE To Do, and The Incredible Lesson We Can All Learn From Pig Farmer Who Decided to Stop Killing Animals.

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