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| Janice the pig enjoys a breezy Summer day in the yard! |
After being inspired to write Janice the Pig’s amazing story of how she founded an entire rescue organization, Annette Fisher, co-founder of Happy Trails, submitted the short essay to the Angel Animals website. We were absolutely thrilled to have learned that Janice’s story was chosen as Story of the Week for the week of July 22.
Below is a copy of Janice's story, but you really should check out the Angel Animals website — there is an overwhelming amount of inspirational, heart-warming, and encouraging stories of pets, their gaurdians, and the monumental changes that animals have brought about in the lives of the people they encounter. If you choose to read Janice’s story through the Angel Animals website, click here, and then click on the line that indicates the story of the week for July 22, entitled "Inspired by a Pig."
"This is my animal story I’d like to share..."
by Annette Fisher
Six years ago I met a lady who was selling horse equipment at a tack swap, and we were comparing notes on how difficult it was to go on vacation and have someone take care of your horses and farm animals in the way you want them to be cared for. She said that she was getting ready to go on a vacation, and would be glad to pay me if I would come over every day and take care of her animals for her. I immediately agreed to help.
Upon arrival at her farm to learn about feeding and daily routines, I was shown quite a variety of horses, dogs, cats, a donkey, a farm hog, and a long list of other furry creatures. We came to a small door that opened into a pen located inside her horse barn. The tiny pen was completely closed in, and peering through this small door I could see thick spider webs and their creators hanging low from the ceiling. There, in her own filth and waste, lay a 150 lb. pot belly pig, unable to move, her front legs curled up underneath her. She had no hair, and her skin was course and peeling.
In complete amazement at seeing this poor creature, I blurted out, "My God, what happened to this pig?" I was told that someone had brought her to the farm about six years ago, and they had dropped her getting her off the truck. "I think they broke her legs," the woman calmly explained.
"What did your vet say?" I questioned. My mouth dropped open in utter disbelief as I heard the reply, "Oh, we never called a vet."
The farm’s owner then left on her vacation, and was supposed to be gone only three days. This pig tore at my heart and haunted my thoughts. When I would leave the farm, I would leave it’s door open so that it could get some fresh air, and I found straw to give it for bedding so it wouldn’t have to lay in such filthy conditions. The owner decided to stay gone for another day, then another day, and finally a week went by before she returned home.
"How much do I owe you for feeding?" she asked me.
"How about just giving me your crippled pig?" I replied, terrified that she wouldn’t agree to such a request. The deal was agreed upon, and I took Janice the pig to our local veterinarian for a complete physical and exam. After working for a week, not only did I not make any money, but it cost me $280 for an hour at the vet clinic. X-rays showed that her legs weren’t broken, but had atrophied due to being kept in such horrible conditions and such a small area. She would never be able to walk normally, and her bones in her front knees would continue to fuse. I discussed euthanasia with the vet — would it be kinder to let her go?
The vet’s reply was kind and sympathetic, and an emphatic "No!". "Annette, this is the best the pig’s ever had it! Let her enjoy life for a while, and she’ll let you know when she’s ready to go." That was a little over six years ago.
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| The cute and comfy log cabin built just for Janice, and later shared with her companion, George. |
What the vet was talking about, was that we had built Janice her own log cabin, fairly large, complete with heat lamps in it for the cold Winter temperatures. We filled her log cabin with extra thick straw for her bed, and gave her old sleeping bags and blankets to snuggle under. Her fur grew back, her skin healed, and I had gained her trust. She would look for me to bring her healthy snacks and hold her water bowl so that she could get drinks easily. Janice was given an arthritis supplement for any discomfort in her legs,
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| Side by side, Janice and George eat a healthy meal of commercial pot belly pig chow. |
and she would get (and continues to receive) daily body massages.
A few months had passed after welcoming Janice to our farm. We then again rescued another pot belly piggy, a youngster who we named George, and presented him to Janice as her companion. The two eventually became best friends, and they enjoyed each other’s company immensely. George grew up with Janice, and now loves her with all his heart. George travels around our farm and takes stories back to Janice about the other animals he would meet and greet.
This heart-breaking experience with Janice made me wonder — if this poor pig was hidden in this barn and needed help, what other farm animals might be hidden in barns that may be in need of special care? I started to inquire with county humane societies and animal protective leagues across our state about what happened to farm animals that were removed from abuse situations. Their options weren’t always great. Some agencies would euthanize the farm animals since many were designed to handle only domestic animals. Several agencies were reluctant to even remove the farm animals from neglect because they had no where to take them.
I decided that people needed to learn to treat the farm animals with compassion, and give them the proper care and respect that they deserved. Janice the pig was my inspiration to create the organization now known as Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization located in Ravenna, Ohio, that focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation and adoptions of farm animals that have been removed from situations of abuse, neglect or abandonment.
This beautiful, loving, sweet, crippled pig who
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| Janice snuggling under her warm heat lamp and blankie, and George nestled next to her. |
now loves peppermints and belly rubs and good conversations, is credited with founding an organization that has now helped over 550 farm animals over the past six years receive medical treatment, hope, love, compassion, and a chance at enjoying a life of peace and comfort with their new human companions.
My bond with Janice is incredible, and she continues to be healthy and to thrive on attention. I have come to understand her language, and she is very vocal about her thoughts. She makes a rather low and quiet noise that sounds like the word "boof" when she is happy and content and all is right with her world. When expressing displeasure about a late meal or not being in the mood for her drink of water, she very loudly proclaims a noise that sounds like "uhboooooo!"
Janice still "scoots" around as opposed to being able to walk normally, but she enjoys her time outdoors, and loves the smell of her freshly-washed blankies. Thanks to this one very very special pig and what she endured in her earlier lifetime, an overwhelming number of other farm animals were given a new lease on life. These rescued animals have in turn touched the lives of so many people, from their caretakers at the sanctuary to the vets who treat them to their newly adoptive families. I have to very humbly say that Janice is one absolutely incredible pig.
