   Ralph - A Recent
Kind Planet Rescue | ||
The email informing The Sanctuary that a new pig was coming, came from a San Luis Obispo County Animal Shelter volunteer on January 3rd. "Miss Piggy" was described as friendly, "a real gem." This was a refreshing change from the close to feral state most of the pigs at The Sanctuary were in when they arrived. Secondly, a female might be welcomed at Little Orphan Hammies in Solvang. With six pigs included in the family of over two hundred and fifty animals at The Sanctuary, another pig was not especially desirable. Sure enough, Sue, the director of Little Orphan Hammies, could take the girl, if The Sanctuary or other Kind Planet volunteers could provide transport. The situation was not only looking manageable, it seemed as if a happy ending was already in place.On January 7th, Diane, the manager of The Sanctuary called the Shelter to check on Miss Piggy‘s status. The Shelter staff person indicated that "she" would be available that day. So off Diane and Richard, The Sanctuary’s large animal manager, went to pick her up. What they found when they arrived at the shelter was a bit different than what they expected. To begin with they spotted a large bowl containing far to much food for a potbellied pig. These guys only need a third of a cup of potbellied pig feed, and half a cup of veggies twice a day. This bowl contained at least four cups of a grain and corn mixture. Not good. After passing the feed they came upon Miss Piggy. Miss Piggy walked right up to them, snorting as she came. The snort Diane heard was not the friendly type of snorting she expected; instead, it sounded quite a bit like the sound male pigs make when attempting to seduce. Upon examination, Diane and Richard discovered Miss Piggy was Ralph. An unaltered male. Ralph’s unaltered state made his immediate transport impossible. Containing an unaltered male is very difficult. Ideally Ralph could be transported to a veterinarian for surgery the same way all unaltered dogs and cats are that are adopted from San Luis Obispo’s Animal Services Shelter. The Shelter’s Administration agreed to hold Ralph for two days with a boarding fee so that arrangements for surgery could be made. Surprisingly, this became impossible. Calls to several Veterinarians were fruitless. Diane was repeatedly informed that the clinics she was calling were not seeing pig patients. No vets were willing to help give Ralph a life! A pen was built at The Sanctuary, far from all the other pigs. The pen contained a shelter and an old rubber tire. Ralph would need warmth and a safe partner for his amorous urges until neuter surgery. Diane returned on January 8th to pick Ralph up. Ralph was not cooperative. Shelter staff and volunteers tried diligently to help Diane load Ralph. The task was given up with a decision to come back with more volunteers the next day. In truth, she simply brought Richard. Richard is a man with muscles and plenty of experience working with large animals. It took about 15 minutes for Richard to get a rope halter around Ralph and then easily persuaded him to journey towards and into the truck. At least he made it look easy. Once in the truck, Ralph decided not to cooperate. Though tied securely between two bales of straw and placed under a raincoat, Ralph began to do all he could to get out. Richard held him in place, but it was becoming obvious that the long drive back to Creston in the rain was going to be a problem. A frantic call was placed to Woods Humane Society. Could they loan The Sanctuary a carrier large enough for Ralph? Wendy, Wood‘s Front Office Manager, immediately said yes. A mad rush to Woods began. Once there, Ralph entered the carrier with little hesitation. Once in, the ride home was effortless. When he arrived at his new residence, Ralph delighted in the rubber tire. Not a pig, which would have been his first choice, the rubber tire was an acceptable "companion."
Thankfully, and unlike most of the pigs at The Sanctuary, Ralph is still small. With careful watch over his diet, the staff hopes to keep the eighty pound pig tame enough to invite to educational programs offered to classrooms. Educational outreach is as important to rescue endeavors as individual rescues such the job of finding a way to give Ralph a full life. In other California communities, the increase in exotics at local shelters has risen 300% over the past two decades. The numbers are greatest in rural areas now becoming more urbanized. People moving from cities and suburbs to a country atmosphere often take on animals they later find difficult to care for. As homes become smaller, animals such as iguanas, rats and rabbits are chosen for convenience. Caring for these animals is a delicate task, and often a more difficult one than first imagined. The Sanctuary specializes in exotic companion animals and those considered livestock. Through the care they give to animals, the facility’s staff learns first hand how to fill the needs of these species. This enables them to teach others how to care for their animals and make the right choices when choosing a new family member. The staff at Animal Services is well trained to care for cats and dogs. The needs of other species cannot be adequately met without the assistance of volunteers and organizations such as The Sanctuary. Since 1997, at least fifty percent of all animals other than cats and dogs have been adopted from the shelter by The Sanctuary. As part of the educational program created by Kind Planet, The Sanctuary is committed to seeing that the need for their services do not increase and someday, no longer needed here on the Central Coast. Met The Pigs Of The Sanctuary Before?Ninja! The Littlest Pig |
||
|
Want To Add An Article? Be Notified Of New Kind Planet Content? Communicate With Us? Contact Kind Planet is created at The Sanctuary. Lost? Go to the Site Map or Search Our Site |
