At Arthur’s Acres Animal Sanctuary, you’ll find an assortment of animals to satisfy anyone’s childhood farmyard dreams.
The animals in question have all been rescued from a past life of trauma and neglect. Some of the most famous faces to put trotter to the mud are pigs Katniss, Rue and Prim – the three little pigs (sorry).
They’re living the dream life of any pig in the sanctuary, feasting away on pumpkins, peanuts, treat balls and grain.
But it hasn’t always been this way for these pigs, who suffered a tragic past.
They were on the brink of death when they were rescued by Southern NY Pig Rescue.
It’s almost hard to even make them out in this picture, because the stall they were in was so full of muddy water that they were nearly drowning in it.
The pigs were having to sleep on each other’s backs to stop their heads from getting submerged underwater.
Apparently, the owner of Katniss, Rue and Prim had insisted he was looking after them properly, but a concerned neighbor believed otherwise.
They called the rescue service, who came to give the scene a once over… and knew immediately that they had to take action.
Despite having seen it all, the rescuers said that this was the worst case they had ever come across.
By October 2018, the pigs had been taken from their old home and upgraded to the farmyard of their fantasies.
Todd Friedman, who founded the sanctuary that the pigs arrived at, recalled the early days of caring for them:
“They were definitely standoffish. They were never angry or aggressive at all, but they were not understanding a pet or a scratch or a belly rub.”
But with a bit of perseverance, Todd managed to convince Katniss, Rue and Prim that he only had good intentions for them.
The pigs were able to get back to full health – with full bellies, too, by the looks of it!
Volunteers and visitors to the sanctuary love stopping by the three little pigs, who have developed quirky personalities of their own.
The story of these rescued pigs makes for an uplifting read, but let’s not forget the real hero of the tale: Todd.
Without Todd, Arthur’s Acres Animal Sanctuary wouldn’t exist today.
Todd had purchased a whole farm in 2018 and set about to rescue as many animals as possible, and it looks like he’s doing a great job of it so far!
He named the farm “Arthur’s” after the first animal to be rescued by the sanctuary, a pig that was abandoned in one of the farm buildings.
The farm is now open to the public, and there are nearly 100 rescued animals to keep Todd busy.
As a visitor to the farm, there’s plenty to do and see.
Aside from Katniss, Rue and Prim, you can also meet a whole host of other imaginatively-named pigs, including King Karl, Vivian, Wren, Betty, Joy, Max, Wilbur, Princess, Princess and Cinderella.
If pigs aren’t really your thing, the shelter also rescues dogs, cats, chickens, roosters and ducks.
If you’re an animal lover who lives anywhere in NY, you need to make the sanctuary the next place you visit!
You can learn more about Todd’s inspiring pig rescue story on the sanctuary’s website, where you can also sponsor an animal.
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