may 08 newsletter - ironwood pig sanctuary · 2019-09-06 · busy lives with school, jobs, and all...

IRONWOOD

PIG SANCTUARY

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IRONWOOD

Wilbur

Ironwood Pig SanctuaryPost Office Box 35490

Tucson, AZ 85740July 2009

Dear Supporter,

I have chosen to express my view on adoptions in this issue. Not so much to explain the physicalrequirements but to let you know about my philosophy. While I recognize this can be controversial andopinions vary widely, I have chosen this path after living with hundreds of pigs for many years, learningabout their behavior, and listing and learning from people who adopt pigs, people who release pigs to us,and people who board pigs with us.

There is a wide range of views on adoptions among people who operate sanctuaries. Some people havedecided not to adopt any animals once the animals have come to them for refuge. Others adopt as many aspossible in order to have room for others who need to be rescued and to provide an individual familyenvironment for their animals.

At Ironwood we fall somewhere in the middle. Clearly adoption policies for dog and cat rescues are fardifferent from a large cat or bear rescue who cannot adopt at all. Again adopting potbelly pigs fallssomewhere in the middle. There are many special requirements unique to pigs. Over the years we haveadopted over 200 pigs, many have been good homes but sadly not all, so I have become more cautious astime goes on and have changed my criteria as well.

My responsibility is to the pigs, not to the people who are looking to adopt. I have offended some whocame to adopt and others came to understand my position. In order to look out for the welfare of the pigswho live with us I have chosen to adopt only pigs in pairs, or one if it will be a companion to another pig. Ioccasionally make exceptions to this based on the pig’s personality and history or the people who areadopting.

An older pig who has been a family pet often does not fit well into a sanctuary environment, so I am willingto adopt them alone. However, since we rarely get a call to adopt an adult pig, those pigs, with rareexception, never find a new home. Donna Scoggin and Grace Reed have been kind enough to take severalof our special pigs who need individual attention and I am so grateful to them.

The ultimate betrayal is to adopt one of our loved pigs to what webelieve is a good home, only to find out later it was not. Whenour pigs come to us we promise them a good safe place to call“home”. The decision to adopt our pigs, that we have fiercelybonded with, is without a doubt one of the most difficult decisionsI have to make. However, you will see from the next article thatdecision is sometimes heartwarming, and it drives me to continuethe search for good homes for our beloved pigs.

IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARY Issue 28

Toby, Taylor & Mary

have an only pig either by choiceor by zoning restrictions and itmay have worked out well foryou and your pig. The fact thatyou are one of our supportersprobably means your pig is nearthe top of your list in how youcare for him or her.

To conclude, my view onadoption has evolved over theyears and I have become moreparticular as time has gone on as I

buddy up with one or more pigs ascompanions. While people whowant one pig may have goodintentions, I tell them we all havebusy lives with school, jobs, andall the other things that oftenresults in the pig being alone a lot.We so often get calls to take a pigbecause the people have no timefor it and it is lonely or he or shehas become aggressive. Thelifespan of a pig is normally 12 to17 years. That is a long time for asocial herd animal to live alone.Aggression is so often seen inpigs who live as a single pig in ahome.

I know many of you reading this

ictured here are pigs inhomes that we dream of.They all have companions,

both the piggy kind and thehuman kind. This is what wehope for. You may notice thatthey are all young pigs, thereforewhen we did the yard checks wetook special care to be sure theyhave space to run and play andstretch their legs. Watching myyoungsters run around here andjump in the wallows I am nowmuch more sensitive to themhaving plenty of space.

When people call who areinterested in adoption I ask themto come to Ironwood for a visit. Iwant them to see how pigs live,what they need, and how many

www.ironwoodpigs.org [email protected]

Issue 29 IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARY

PPig Adoptions

Gaje, Herbie and GwendolynHerbie, an unwanted Christmaspresent from a breeder inTexas, came to us in February.Gwen and Scott were found inthe desert in Yuma. TheHumane Society of Yuma tookthem in and shortly after shedelivered 9 babies on Jan. 19th.Gwen, Scott, and five of herbabies came to us 3/1/09.Gwen and Herbie went home totheir new family with two otherlittle piggies.

Elvis and Simon“Here is our cute little guyenjoying himself as we aredoing construction on the frontporch. We just adore him.”Jackie and Simon Crothers

Elvis came from the HumaneSociety in Yuma. He wastwice turned in as a stray.

Lily, Brenda and Annabelle

“They are so adorable andso affectionate. Spendingtime with them is thehighlight of my day!

Annabelle was adopted fromIronwood to be a companionfor Brenda’s Lily and, ashoped, they have becomefast friends. Annabelle andSal came to us last fall frompeople who were moving intwo days. Four days laterAnnabelle delivered fivehealthy babies who were alladopted.



ronwood is doing what wecan to help people who findthemselves in these difficult

situations. That means not justkeeping the sanctuary doors openfor pigs, but also finding other“doors to open” in our own homesand the homes of friends andneighbors.

A friend in Tucson found herselfin dire financial difficulties andsuddenly needing a home for her7 pigs and several tortoises. Herdaughter and son-in-law took oneof the pigs and all the tortoises. Ioffered to bring the other six pigsto my home. Ben and Maryquickly agreed to providematerials and help to fence offpart of the 2 acres to keep thesenew pigs separated from the 10 Ialready had. This was over a yearago and those six are now likefamily to me.

Last November Annabelle andSal’s owners called in

desperation. They had to be outof their house in two days andcould find no where to take theirpigs. We picked them up thatsame day which turned out to be agood thing since Annabelle gavebirth to a litter of piglets a fewdays later! All are spayed andneutered now so at least there willbe no more babies.

Ziggy’s owner is a single dad whoworks in construction which is anindustry that has been hit veryhard in Arizona. He had been outof work for a while and ended up

moving in with a friend while hestruggled to make ends meet.There was no yard for Ziggy atthe friend’s house. Aftersearching in many differentdirections trying to find a homefor his pig, someone finally gavehim our number. Ziggy is asweet, handsome youngster ofthree. Although the sanctuary isalready bulging at the seams, weare delighted to have such asweetheart join us.

Boscoe and Rosie’s owners werestruggling with all sorts of issues

which included losing their hometo foreclosure. In his distress, thehusband committed suicide,Annabelle

I

The Economy Strikes Pet Owners

Rosie

Ziggy

Sal

Financial difficulties, job loss, foreclosures, downsizing homes...all ofthese are reasons we have heard over the past year from people callingus for help in placing not only their pigs but other pets as well.

Boscoe


leaving his wife bewildered andalone to deal with moving out andfinding a home for their two oldpigs. How could we possibly notfind room for Boscoe and Rosie inthat situation?

Hamlet, a thirteen year oldfemale, had been with her ownerssince she was five weeks old.

They had to move out of theirhome of 20 years and make thedevastating decision to placeHamlet elsewhere. Although itbroke their hearts to bring her tous, they were left with virtually noother choice.

Jewells and Missy’s owners werealso faced with losing their home

and having to move to a muchsmaller place with no yard.

Where else are these peoplesupposed to turn? It’s gettingmore difficult for us to findadoptive homes as so many othersface possible cutbacks, layoffsand foreclosures in the future.Many are afraid to be taking onmore responsibilities andexpenses because they don’tknow what will be happeningwith their jobs. And we’ve notseen the end of it yet.

A Tucson couple adopted pigsfrom us a few years ago. He hasbeen out of work for a year andthey’ve tried desperately to hangon to their home and theiranimals. It just wasn’t possibleand this past month we broughttheir three pigs back to Ironwood.Our friend and neighbor down theroad from the sanctuary agreed totake in their two ducks and tworabbits. The smaller home towhich they are moving hasenough space for their small dogsso part of the family will staytogether.

It is truly heartbreaking and ratherfrightening when this ishappening so often and especiallyto people we know personally.

Another Phoenix friend was laidoff from her job and could onlyfind work in Tucson where sheended up living in an apartment.Her rabbit was also able to find anew home with our neighbor. Weare so grateful that we are able tocontinue to help out those in needand also grateful for othersopening up their homes and theirhearts to take other homeless pets.

Please keep in your thoughts andprayers those dealing with thetough economy and findingthemselves in need of help.

Anything you can do to help notonly the pigs here at Ironwood butthe people and other animals hereor in your area would be greatlyappreciated. If we stick togetherand provide help in ourcommunities, we will get pastthese hard times. Please ease theburden for others whenever andhowever you can!

Donna

t Owners

Jewels

Missy

Hamlet


Hoof & TuskTrimming

Pig owners in the Tucson,Phoenix and surrounding areascan contact Donna Norton fortusk and hoof trimming.Donna is an experiencedtrimmer, having lived on site atIronwood for over four years.Donna provides weekend housecalls for pig and goat trims.Please call 520-780-8832 or e-mail [email protected] set up an appointment.

JOIN OUR FAMILY OF SPONSORSThese are just a few of the pigs still needing sponsors. They

wanted to share their favorite things about Ironwood with you.You can choose one of these

wonderful pigs to support witha monthly donation of $30that will cover all of their

needs including food, shelterand health care or I can picka pig for you. In return youwill receive periodic updates

with pictures to keep youposted on what is happening

in the life of your pig. Thanksfor all of your support!

Donna


BoScott

I’m Scott and I’ve only been here for a few months.The best time of day for me is breakfast time! Thesound of grain hitting the troughs and bowls is likemusic to my ears! We get lots of grain then those nicepeople spread hay around the field to give ussomething extra to snack on. It’s great!

My name is Bo. My favorite thing about the

sanctuary is that I finally have a permanent home!

I’ve had to move several times, changing owners

and homes over the years. I’m an old man now

and just want somewhere to live out the rest of my

life in comfort. I’ve finally found it! When I

moved into the Peoria Field, Mary promised it

would be the last move for me.

My name is Cinder (and it is not short forCinderella! I’m a boy!). Anyway, I’ve been atIronwood for several years now. My favorite timeat the sanctuary is when we get fruits and veggiesas treats! It’s always so exciting to hear (andsmell) the wagon full of goodies coming. Thetreats are spread out for all of us to enjoy. It’s soyummy!!!

Aussie & Donna

SSSS pppp oooo nnnn ssss oooo rrrr aaaa SSSS pp ee cc ii aa ll PP ii gg !!

Howdy, I’m Gambit. The sanctuary has been my home for a

few months. My favorite thing is how well I’m taken care of.

For example, I’m sort of big and slow and there is no way I

could manage in a large field with a bunch of pigs running

every which way during feeding time. My home is a small

field with just a few pigs that are all like me! It’s perfect for

us! It sure makes life easier when things like that are taken into

consideration. Thanks, Ironwood!


Hi! I’m Portia and I’vebeen here since the firstyear Ironwood opened.My very favorite thing ishoof trimming. Justkidding!!! That’s like theworst ever! Really, what Ilike the most is all thespace my friends and Ihave here. I live in a bigfield where I have thefreedom to roam aroundand do whatever I want,wherever I want. It’s sowonderful! (An added plusis all that walking keepsmy hooves worn down allon my own! Hah!)Portia

My name is Cinder (and it is not short forCinderella! I’m a boy!). Anyway, I’ve been atIronwood for several years now. My favorite timeat the sanctuary is when we get fruits and veggiesas treats! It’s always so exciting to hear (andsmell) the wagon full of goodies coming. Thetreats are spread out for all of us to enjoy. It’s soyummy!!!

Cinder

SSSS pppp eeee cccc iiii aaaa llll PPPP iiii gggg !!!!

Gardenia

Hi there, my name isGardenia. I’ve beenhere for a year and ahalf. What I love mostabout Ironwood is that Iwas able to stay with myfamily. I’m very shyand sort of nervous. Ittotally helped me whenwe moved out into thefield to have my familywith me. I’m able tospend all my time withMonkey, Alice,Boudrette and Charlotte.It gives me a feeling ofpeace to know they areall right here!

Gambit

----Pig Adoptions Continued



have had to live with somemistakes I have made. Whilesome think a “human home” isalways best, we at Ironwood arenot of that mind. We feel our pigsare happy here with many pigcompanions, food, water, shade,shelters, medical care and safetyfrom dogs. All of these things areprovided by your support. It ismy feeling that pigs can be veryhappy and content withouthumans as long as they have eachother. Therefore when pigs go“home” I want to be sure they willstill be living a happy, safe, andcontent life with the bonus of aloving and attentifamily. If that isnot the case they can stay with usat Ironwood.

Otis and Gordy

Gordy was rescued by hisfamily and they wantedanother piggy to keep himcompany. Otis was adoptedfrom us. He is one ofGwen’s adorable babies. Jensaid Otis stuck by Gordy’sside all the time and is onlynow beginning to spendsome time on his own. Itwas a match for both ofthem.

Petunia, Elvis, and Champ

When Elvis was adoptedfrom Ironwood he joinedPetunia and Champ, twoPeoria babies fromIronwood, Baby, also fromIronwood, and Fannie whowas adopted from ourAnnex before it was ourplace.

Hello Ben & Mary.

I’ve attached a couple of shots of the 3 little pigs, Petunia,Champ and Elvis. They spent the whole day yesterdayunderneath the bird feeder, digging for seeds that the birdshad scattered.

Elvis is a hoot. He basically moved in and took over. Eventhough he’s the smallest, he’s the boss. Even Gordo (Babe)who outweighs him 5 to 1, yields to Elvis. Go figure.

Frannie is doing well, back to her old self. Thank you somuch for arranging her operation, no doubt you saved herlife.

All the best for now,



Thank You For All of Your Support!

We acceptdonations withthe followingcredit cards

for yourconvenience.

Become a Sanctuary SustainerUse Your Credit or Debit Card to Make a Monthly Donation

Remember the Ironwood PigSanctuary Through Your Estate Plan

The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary has been the recipient of bequestsfrom a number of generous supporters. These donors felt that theyneeded their assets during their lifetimes, but decided to linkthemselves forever with the ongoing life of the Sanctuary bymaking bequests through their estate plans. The fair market valueof a bequest may be deductible in determining a taxable estate forestate tax purposes.

Bequests can be a percentage of the estate, or a specific dollaramount, a particular stock, bond or mutual fund portfolio, a pieceof real estate, naming the Sanctuary as remainderman of the estateafter providing for family and friends, or stipulating that theSanctuary will benefit from a portion of the estate if certainbeneficiaries predecease the donor.

By joining as a sanctuary sustainer, a monthly contribution, be it $5, $10,$25 or $100, or any amount you choose, will be charged to your credit ordebit card each month. The amount, which is determined by you, will bethere each month to care for the animals. To sign up, just fill out the formon the enclosed reply envelope and indicate your monthly contribution.

Thank You for caring.

You can make secure donations to the Sanctuaryusing your credit card by going to our web site at

www.ironwoodpigs.org and clicking on SUPPORT.



COVERWilbur arrived in 12/07/07 from a home in Prescott, AZ at the age of four.The owner was getting divorced and was ill. Wilbur was very social, butlike many male pigs we take, he was not neutered. We had him neutered,but not long after he developed a very serious cystitis and a blockedurethra. He required major surgery to save his life and then developed aurinary tract infection which are difficult to treat. He finally recoveredfrom all his illnesses and has been moved to one of our large fields. Heeats in a special small pen so we can feed him a special diet and meds tohelp maintain acidic urine to avoid more urinary stones forming. Throughall of this he is still such a sweet pig, and even though he could take onmost any pig in his field he is very docile.

Our Wish List

IRONWOOD

PIG SANCTUARY

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IRONWOOD

Wilbur

A Special Thanks ---o all of our wonderful supporters who have helped us get through thesevery difficult times. We have experienced many hours of worry but untilnow we are continuing to meet our expenses because of your great

support. Our sincere and humble thanks to all of you.

I also want to thank Stefanie from New York who has now made her third trip toIronwood Pig Sanctuary bearing gifts and always ready to help out where she isneeded with a wonderful upbeat attitude. Thank You Stef for choosing us.

I want to extend a special thank you to George and Mario, who through their kinddonation, we were able to purchase a 13 thousand gallon water tank which morethen doubled our 10 thousand gallon working tank, leaving our reserve tanks for emergencies. This is extremelysignificant since during the hot Arizona summers NOTHING is more important then water. Any number ofthings could occur that could put us in a crisis so this extra water is an additional comfort zone.

In addition, they made it possible for us to buy a large swamp cooler for one of our pens. Once it is installed weare hopeful we will be able to begin spaying our “girls” again. During the very hot months we are unable to spaysince it is not possible to let them be without pools and wallows during their recovery period. Thanks so muchGeorge and Mario.

New Water Tank

* Large or Giant Igloo Shelters or LargeDog Houses

* Gift Card to Fry’s, Home Depot, Lowes,Office Max, Office Depot, or Walgreens

* Used Blankets are Always Welcome

* Zinc Oxide Ointment Such asDesitin

* Glucosamine Chondroitin +MSM* Flax Seed Capsules* Triple Antibiotic Ointment* Postage Stamps (44, 28, 17 cents)

T

MISSION STATEMENTThe Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is dedicated to eliminating the suffering of pot-bellied pigs by

promoting spaying and neutering, assisting owners and other sanctuaries, and providing apermanent home in a safe, nurturing environment for those that are abandoned, abused,

neglected, or unwanted.

**** Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is accredited by the American Sanctuary Association.

**** The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and your donations are tax deductible.



Mary, I felt better afterour conversation on thephone. I’m the one inFlorida that told you Ilost my preciousCharlotte of 13 years.She was gentle, loveableand a little spoiled but Iloved her dearly. I missher terribly but she willalways be in my heart!

Sincerely,Pat Piazza

IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARYNEWS

IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARYPOST OFFICE BOX 35490TUCSON, AZ [email protected]

IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARYIssue 29

NON PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDTUCSON, AZ

PERMIT NO.2216

Return Service RequestedPublished at the above address regularly.

JULY 2009ISSUE 29

Sisters Stella and Bobbi Sue

may 08 newsletter - ironwood pig sanctuary · 2019-09-06 · busy lives with school, jobs, and all...

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