Pigs Of Course

Well our newsletters are out and anyone who would like to get one please drop me a line!!

My focus for the newsletter is of course to bring all of our friends up to date and even though there are five pages it is never enough room to cover everything. That is because i normally can't fit in the time to do more then one a year when working full time and would actually have to take time off of work to do them. With help from both Dayna and Jean writing for us and Dayna getting them printed for me is a huge help. So we are going to try and aim for twice a year this go around. Please if anyone has some suggestions or input for our next one bring it on!!

The newsletter is also our one and only steady form of advertising the Sanctuary covering everything from our dreams to our basic needs. We still have many pigs who need sponsors to defray our produce costs every month. Right now we are feeding approximately 70 lbs of produce a day. While you shop next time look at the cost of the produce your buying and you'll understand some of the expense of running a farm animal sanctuary here in B.C.

And if you have a fruit or nut bearing tree gather the goodies up , email your friends ask them about there over flow in there gardens and if you have room plant some seeds . Round it up and surprise the caretaker with goodies for the animals so they can save there money for on going veterinarian needs.

I would also really love to plant some fruit and nut trees here so if you have any connections let me know!

Its pouring rain out there today and its been a wild week from t-shirt weather to snow! What a tease with all that warm weather we had and things were starting to dry up.. now more mud again.

When Mouse moved in here i fixed her a spot by the patio door in the great room which is where my office is. Although there is a TV in here i find myself in the front room of this house in the evenings as it feels more cozy. The pictures of Mouse suggests she feels the same way, although the sound clip of her is probably more explanatory. The front room is also just off the kitchen.

What surprises me most about Mouse is she was never a pig who came inside in all the years of living back at the old place. She was always rather timid and still is. But she drinks out of the dog dish with out tipping it over unlike my two regular house pigs do and she will lick a plate clean with out flipping it and sending it crashing once done. I wouldn't give Winnie or Casa a reg plate to eat off of and they have more house experience then Mouse ever did.

I also want to reach out to those of you who are still eating meat or using animal by products. I bet there are millions out here who are tossing around the vegan thing and know it is right and want to start but it is so easy to stay in a comfort zone and don't really know where to begin.

Start today and remove one animal from your plate. And of course lets start with piglets and keep Pork off your fork!!

Sunny Days..

Well I spent a grueling week after doing the straw and writing for the newsletter. Running out of ink, printing receipts and then getting an offer by Dayna to print our newsletters, RIGHT ON!!! A huge saving for the pigs never mind one major chore of running to Pitt Meadows twice to get them done. All the way from Alberta!!! And then Nancy and i spending four hours stuffing envelopes and Mom who picked up more stamps on the way out and then mailed them all. Done... whewwwwwwwwwww

Wayne who i had purchased two sheds from arrived with two big surprises. He framed two rain shelters that cover two piggy paddocks each. And he was very clever at how he built them and they way they fit in. I should of taken pictures will get on that tomorrow. We have an offer of tin for the roof and i can't decide if i want something clear or not. So the sun and light can shine threw... anyhow he even had poly cut to use in the mean time. VERY cool and they look really good too. Professional!!

Another fun day was a visit from friends with a big bag of hazelnuts. the pigs masterfully spit out the shell in a split second and chew the nut . It was pretty neat when we treated the Super Wee's , to hear all 12 pigs crunching at the same time. LOL

Mouse had me worried as she threw up two weeks in a row so her diet has been changed and 8 days now with out any problems. She is out every day all day if i let her.

High Speedy Penny is in the feed room before i can move , so different for the pig who lived in the carport who i would pull the blankets off, to get her up. She is fast!!

I watched Casanova spin and buck in his paddock again yesterday. So cute to see the adult pigs feel so happy that they do that. George was laying on his side in the middle of the yard today sun bathing. He got his belly rubbed!! And trying to lay out the 12 trays tonight with 12 pigs getting in your way and Rickey who wouldn't budge from my leg. I had to laugh , i even playfully patted him with the cookie sheet and stuck to me LOL Silly pigs..

And Roscoe looking up at Jane and giving her a gentle rub with his big head , and my Rose who bucks after i tell her she is beautiful and almost knocks me over. I tell her "its NOT funny" and i know the way her tail is wagging she is laughing at me. So i tell her " that's not funny ha ha Rose!!!"

Nancy and Jane were here today and Nancy worked for the horses and Jane and I worked for the pigs. I raked and tipped wheel barrows while Jane scrubbed and got fresh waters. One more volunteer and it all would of all got done and less work for every one too. Jane and i went till about 2 as i just couldn't do any more.

Dior has learned how to pull the boards out and let her self in the yard and Lacy stands back waiting for her to do it. There like bad kids and race galloping in like big cheeky brats. Last night i nailed all the boards so when i need to drive in next time with hay I will to pull them out. I need that fence line replaced its only a matter of time before she takes out the flimsy gate .

All the pigs need to be dewormed so that is on my mind and has to get done. We will fix a bazillion jelly sandwiches and lace them all with meds.

The weather has just been beautiful and the pasture is littered with Robins every day. I heard my first coyote kiyi here tonight and it sounded wonderful as did the chatter of squirrel over the neighbors way. Hard to believe there calling for snow next week LOL could of worn a t shirt out there today.

Mom arrived to stay for a few days on Friday afternoon. She lives about 20 minutes from here and is 87 years old. She pulls in with her dog Nicky and the budgie my sister found at her complex two weeks before. So in came the over night bag , the dog and the bird lol

Saturday my sister arrived to try and help a little with a bad shoulder and my new friend Jane. Nancy and I tackled the piggy pens while Jane worked on doing piggy dishes and waters. We got it all done by about 2;00 and we were whooped.

Dayna you would love Jane also a proud vegan and she brought me a steam rice cooker that i can add veggies too. She brought me lunch and i ate it cold after every one left and it was delicious. Rice, brussles, broccoli and topped with tofu that was crumbled and any one would of thought it was chicken. And i got to give her, her first glass of silk's chocolate milk. A hit of course!!!

Today a visit from Casanova's sponsors, Rubaiyat and Jasonda. There an awesome young couple to traveled over an hour to visit and made peanut butter sandwiches for all the pigs. And for desert Strawberry's, what a special treat!!!!!!!!!!! They also picked me up a couple of new dish brushes , how very thoughtful and as you can see they had more then once use for today.

I worked on the horse pasture while they showed themselves around and i don;t have the strength i did yesterday. Scrubbed out the big horse water tank and refilled it and then added another lock to the feed shed to keep Comet out. I was dragging myself around by dinner time tonight.

Tomorrow morning the horse's will get there feet done and then i got to head into town to pick up a load of straw and get it in every body's houses before dinner time. Hope these warn out muscles are ready for action tomorrow because again it is hard heavy work.

Seeing Things...

Every morning starts with a coffee at my desk. It is facing a window looking over the fish pond and into Sanctuary. As the sun rises over the mountains its light streams threw the curtain of evergreens. I see Comet who is up early checking to see if there is anything he can add to his nest. A potpourri of straw, branches and grass. His tail is wagging and little Jack has awoke to peer threw the dew dropped fences at his busy white bristled neighbor.

I see the mountains behind the trees and that view is one of many things i didn't have at the old place. Oh they were there alright but we were set to far below to see them unless out on the road. The mountains are magic and i am so happy to be able to see them from here.

Yesterday while sitting here as i was sharing stories on line about our pigs and there creative nest building. ( The picture is of Mouse in her nest) It stirred up memories of a pig who started this all. And as a piece of sunshine burst threw the clouds for a brief second it's glow was the shape of a heart. But then again i see hearts and pigs everywhere. If you've been here you would notice a collection of rocks here sitting on my table. Looks like a heart to me..

And a saved picture from work.. a paint chip on an old car clearly looks like a pig.

Last week the reflection of sun on Willy's protected painting .. do i see Angels now too?

Muddy Rant

I just got in from poop scooping the farm pigs paddocks which are in a ft of mud and water in some places. With all the vegans, animal activists, anti this and anti that and all for the ethical treatment of animals why am i alone here?

I shoved the wheelbarrow a foot at a time and pulled my boot out in every step that i was able to take. Rose one of my farm pigs who is physically challenged returned to her paddock within 15 minutes of being let out. She is cranky and the mud is no doubt adding to her discomfort and while i stood there telling her i am sorry that i am doing the best i can by myself i started to cry.

Day after day i see farm pigs needing homes on top of the hourly cries for help for this goat, that sheep , a herd of cows, a hut full of rabbits and a barn full of chickens. While we are evolving more and more are getting a chance to get them out from under the life they were bred for and there is no where for them to go.

So much for Valentines Day ....this heart says unite!! And support or create the place, so they have somewhere for them to go. I spent over a half a million on credit for the pigs i brought home , who is going to help me pay for it so i can do better for them and bring more home?? Add the 22000,00 for the fencing and i need another 20,000 to finish it.

And i don't need suggestions as i do everything i can to bring help and money in here. Advertise, fund-raise ,net work, interviews, radio shows, tv spots , newsletters, websites, face-book , Blog and try to get more sponsors, homes, and even write major players to try and get them to see me. Suggestions don't help the animals here , there only caretaker is outside working.

Another Grant denied last week... i imagine the board looking at all the choices cat and dog rescues... what A pig rescue??? Pass...

Sorry for my rant..

Pigs in Peril Find Forever Homes at Snooters Sanctuary

Pigs in Peril Find Forever Homes at Snooters Sanctuary

A Squishy Pig

"Penny is a squishy pig" and as soon as the words come out of my mouth, visitors ask me "what do you mean"?

Penny arrived in a horse trailer with no straw or protection inside. Animals have no idea when your traveling if and when your going to stop. Or go into an incline , a decline in the road, or turn left or right. Think about it , one very obese short legged pot bellied pig in a horse trailer traveling for about an hour. How many times did she loose her footing and crash into the walls? If she had of laid down or went down from being unable to balance inside she would of rolled back and forth smashing into the metal walls of her confine, over and over again.

She has gone threw humans like we go threw new cars. So many humans discarded her over and over again. They fed her too much and probably everything nutritionally incorrect for her species. Poor little Penny as she emerges from her fat suit with still many serious medical problems.

Penny's eye sight is poor due to the heavy fat fold over her forehead and pushing down on her eyes. A slow weight loss i pray will allow her body to re- adjust because for many pigs , surgery is the only way to remove the fold once the weight comes off. Cosmetic surgery for a pig is done in the states by rescuers some of the time. She allows me to pull back the fat from her eyes so we can see each other and the world she lives in here.

Penny is regaining the use of muscles once weighted down by that fat. Her ears are no longer simply ornamental , she is regaining the ability to show me things now. Her ears are responding to her personality and delights as you can see when she is enjoying her soup. And as the weight comes off of her I hope more of her hearing returns that is also compromised due to the fat.

Penny is not out in a paddock in a straw filled house like the others. Eating of straw and hay has caused more problems with her constipation so that form of fiber is restricted somewhat. Her potty habits are of a fat pig who had no reason, too much pain and it took too much effort to get up. A pig who goes potty in her bed , on her carpet runners or in her water dish. Never the less she is loved and must be watched ,so Penny has her own big house for the special needs girl she is. A pig who potties where they sleep or where they eat goes against the norm , something must be the matter and for now there is.

I have had to help Penny in more ways then one over the last few months and so have two of my vets. Even Carol (SAINTS) left me a sure fire constipation relief package and i have a cupboard filled for Penny's needs. Little Penny has suffered many indignities but forgives me completely.

And no matter what time of day as i attend to her needs i can pull back a blanket and snuggle up beside her and kiss her face. And i can do that over and over again. I rub her face and fuss on her and sometimes in shear pleasure she will let out these soft rhythmic whines of contentment , and that is music to my ears. I can warm up her ears with my breath and lay right down with her and put my arm around her and snuggle her while i tuck her in. I tell her I love her and when I kiss her i tell her it is what we do when we love you so much. We kiss you and kiss you and she responds with another form of communicating "comfort" with her ah ha ah's . Yes the message comes in three's and if you were too clear your throat softly with your mouth closed that is the sound they make. Penny as do all of the pigs can answer you if you ask. And if i ask Penny is she is cozy she will answer "ah ah ah"...


She is my squishy pig.

High Speed Penny the Pot Bellied Pig

She is a super scooper

High Speed Penny the Pot Bellied Pig loves Soup

Such a Lady

Tomato Soup and Mouse

Kind of dark,this was taken in my kitchen a few minutes ago...