The saddest sow - Florence's story

 Booked to go to the slaughterhouse or be shot, Florence and her two boys Bertie and Freddie came perilously close to death.

Florence was a breeding sow for five years, bearing litters of piglets that were taken away from her. She was then brought to a special needs school in Taunton so the teachers could show children how to raise animals for food. They kept two of the piglets from her last litter (Freddie and Bertie) too to show them how to raise the babies. After budget cuts, they decided that all three had to go.

Florence had always been separated from the boys and was incredibly close to walking, alone,  onto a truck bound for the slaughterhouse. Thankfully one of the teachers appealed for help and all three pigs found sanctuary here with us instead.

For the first few months, we didn't see Florence's face as she never looked up. Her spirit was broken. It didn't help that she had been bred to have ears that hung over her face (a way of making pigs easier to deal with in captivity). Every day, we would walk with her from her stable to a small paddock and, slowly, Florence grew to trust us. She would always walk the same way and touch the same objects; it was as if she found security in the familiar. After a few months, she finally relaxed and started to lift her head; something which was so special to see.

The three not-so-little pigs were our first residents when they arrived in 2018. Sadly, we have since lost Bertie to illness - but it's comforting to know that the family all found their loving forever home.

To help us give more pigs the peaceful life and happy ending they deserve, head over to our paypal to donate or visit the sanctuary shop. Thank you!