Since a number of the surviving sows we found on the Oakville, Iowa levee were already in late term pregnancy at the time of their rescue, we have experienced several piglet births at Farm Sanctuary this week – the very first to ever occur at our New York Shelter. A rarity in our work as we take measures to prevent breeding among shelter residents so we can always focus our efforts on animals in the most desperate need of our help, the births have been quite a new experience for us all.

Around noon on Wednesday, a third sow in late term pregnancy, Mabel, gave birth to 10piglets. See below for photos of the happy mom and our newest additions. As the newborns have raised the number of pigs in care from this rescue, we are still in urgent need of donations to cover the costs of their feed, housing and medical care. We are also searching for loving adoptive homes for pigs, as well as volunteers to assist us with shelter work in Watkins Glen. If you can help, please call 607-583-2225. Contributions can be made by clicking on the donate box to the right of the blog.

Monday afternoon, the first of the pregnant sows, Rosebud, welcomed eight tiny piglets into the world! An event that lasted about 2 ½ hours, this emotional first birth culminated in the safe delivery of a breech baby who was born at 6 p.m. One of the smallest piglets in the litter was too weak to nurse on his own. He was bottle- fed vital colostrum from his mother and then taken to a veterinary hospital for postnatal care. Meanwhile, caregivers here kept vigil by Rosebud’s side, watching over her fragile babies who – due to all their mother had been through – are premature and require our constant attention.

As we cared for Rosebud and doted on her little ones, another pregnant sow, Mango, was settling into a birthing hut out in the pasture, and at 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, she too gave birth to eight beautiful girls and boys! One of Mango’s babies was also smaller and weaker than the rest of her litter and was taken to the hospital to join Rosebud’s baby yesterday afternoon. Happily, these two remain stable, but will stay in intensive care until it is safer to bring them back home.

Today, all of the other 14 piglets are nursing steadily and gaining strength, taking their first adventurous steps, resting close to their siblings for comfort and warmth, and being lulled to sleep by their mothers’ soothing chatter. No longer imprisoned by the bars of a factory farm gestation crate and denied the chance to nurture and protect their babies, Rosebud and Mango are extremely affectionate and visibly thrilled with the new piglets –all of whom they now lovingly care for in the ways that they freely choose.

With 16 new babies in our care and many more pregnant sows about to give birth, our work in the Emergency Rescue & Rehabilitation Center nursery has only just begun. Already, caregivers are stationed next to the mothers 24 hours a day so we can respond immediately to any complications that may arise. Though our population and responsibilities grow so do the joys of seeing these pigs thrive. As we embark on this whole new journey in our efforts to give a second chance to the flood survivors, join us in celebrating the births and watch the slideshow below!

Watch our latest video on the Midwest Flood Pig Rescue!

With all the pigs now at our New York Shelter, we have never been busier! After putting an urgent call out for volunteers last week, we have so far gotten a great response and, thanks to the compassion of animal advocates across the nation, are further on our way to securing the onsite help we need to carry out this massive rehabilitative effort.

Right now, the more than 60 special needs pigs saved from the floods are receiving the critical care, treatments and surgeries they need to recover, and between hospital visits, veterinary exams and daily health checks are settling into the routine of sanctuary life. Anticipating twice-a-day feedings, taking restorative naps in mounds of straw, and reveling in the spray of garden hose “showers,” the pigs, little by little, are also learning to trust from the caregivers and volunteers who lovingly tend to their every need.

Happily, the pigs who are well enough to explore are also enjoying the outdoors. These days, it’s nearly impossible to stop by the shelter and not see pink everywhere – speckling the landscape as pigs root in the dirt, wallow in luxurious mud pits, nibble on green vegetation, or just relax among the wildflowers. Never before have our Emergency Rescue & Rehabilitation Center pastures revealed to the world such a remarkable sight!

Enjoy the following slideshow of the pigs loving their outdoor freedom on the farm, and stay tuned for more to come on the brave individuals rescued from the floods. And, if you can take part in this incredible effort by becoming a volunteer caregiver or shelter intern at our New York Shelter, or opening your home to rescued pigs, please call 607-583-2225 or visit farmsanctuary.org. Lifesaving donations to our Emergency Rescue Fund can also be made with a quick click on the donate button found on right hand side of the blog. As we continue this work, we need you more now than ever before!

After having made the more than 15-hour trip from Iowa to New York, the remaining survivors from the “Big Ditch” levee arrived at Farm Sanctuary at 10 p.m. last night. The first trailer, driven by Susie Coston and Dan D’Eramo, was unloaded first – among its extremely precious passengers a mother sow, who gave birth in the flood zone, and her seven perfect little piglets. Prior to hitting the road, Dan and Susie put the piglets in a carrier next to their mother to keep them secure for travel and planned to stop every two hours so the little ones could nurse. But mama sow had other plans. Within the hour, she proved she could do the job better by skillfully dismantling the carrier, gathering her babies around her, and keeping them tucked in the straw near her belly for the rest of the trip.

A second even larger trailer leading the way to Watkins Glen held nearly everyone else, and the unloading of it upon arrival at the sanctuary resulted in a stunning parade of 40 plus beautiful pigs who filed off the truck in an orderly fashion, two-by-two and three-by-three, as soon as the doors swung open. Greeted immediately by new Farm Sanctuary friends and caregivers as they entered our Emergency Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, the pigs wasted no time exploring and diving into generous offerings of fresh herbs, carrots and watermelon before piling up together and settling into mounds of straw for sleep.

With all these amazing animals suddenly coming to our New York Shelter, the sanctuary still buzzes today with excitement and activity. Now begins the tasks of establishing feeding schedules and healthcare routines, closely watching over pregnant sows, keeping vigil by the sides of the injured and sick, and showing these incredible survivors of factory farm and flood the ways of being free. Stay tuned for lots more news to come, and see a slideshow of last night’s arrival below!

During a massive rescue effort last Thursday, 22 more pigs, some located about 12 miles down the Oakville “Big Ditch” levee were rescued by our incredible, and now very seasoned, coalition team members. After having perfected the technique of securing stranded pigs with the help of Farm Sanctuary staff, Chuck Pappas and Dan D’Eramo, the crew built a makeshift corral with plastic panels and zip ties, skillfully herding the most tenacious survivors inside. After as many as possible were safely penned before dark, the large group was then transported off the levee in a trailer pulled by a tractor – another vital piece of equipment secured through the efforts of Farm Sanctuary crew member, Julie Janovsky, who has been in charge of logistics for the entire operation. Filling another long day in the field, the rescue was exhausting for the team, but well worth every ounce of stamina as it resulted in the majority of the remaining live pigs on the levee being saved.

The following day, Friday, July 4, 10 more pigs – the very last of the “Big Ditch Levee” survivors, as well as a few others from around Oakville – were rescued, raising the number of pigs in our care in Iowa to 54, and the total of pigs rescued (including 12 already at our New York Shelter and another from Illinois recently adopted into a loving, permanent home) to 69! Among the rescued pigs are at least 10 sows who have viable late-term pregnancies – which means we may be welcoming dozens of piglets into the world in the days to come.

A number of the most recently rescued pigs, those who’ve been hiding out on the levee the longest, are in rough shape – at least eight of the pigs are extremely emaciated, several are gravely ill, and most have very severe sunburn on their ears and backs. All are underweight and very, very scared. Under the care of National Shelter Director Susie Coston, who has made a triage of the Iowa holding area, these pigs are receiving emergency care, but the road to rehabilitation will be very long and hard for many.

Despite all they’ve been through, some pigs, like one Susie affectionately dubbed “Doctor,” have already managed to come out of their shells. “We started calling this sweet boy ‘Doctor’ because he always follows us around when we’re doing health care on the pigs and talks into their ears, as if he’s asking what’s wrong and how he can help,” said Susie. “He’s really good at making people feel better, as well. When I’m exhausted and lay on the ground to rest, he’ll come and lie across my body and talk in my ear, too. He really keeps me going.” The humor, beauty and love that already radiates from these pigs is life-affirming, and we are overjoyed that we have the honor of knowing them and helping them move toward a future where they can really shine.

As this monumental rescue quickly grows into the most expensive operation ever undertaken by Farm Sanctuary, we are in more need now than ever before of support from our members. If you would like to make a gift to provide healthcare and transport back to our New York Shelter for the pigs, please visit farmsanctuary.org or give us a call at 607-583-2225 ext. 221 today.

As our rescue mission continues in Oakville, Iowa we wanted to give you a glimpse into the incredible efforts of the crew on the ground by sharing this video from one of our coalition partners, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), narrated by Dick Green – IFAW disaster relief manager and the incident commander of our team. Watch out for Farm Sanctuary’s very own Chuck Pappas and Dan D’Eramo, as they work with IFAW, AHA, and ARL-Boston workers to secure and load stranded pigs onto a trailer for transport off the levee!



Help Farm Sanctuary continue our rescue efforts in the Midwest by making a donation to our Emergency Rescue Fund at farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225. Or, if you or someone you know can adopt a rescued pig into your home, please contact shelter@farmsanctuary.org or 607-583-2225 ext. 223.