Save Tiny the Pig! A Special Appeal for a Special Pig

Dear Friends,

We hope all of you are doing well and are safe in the aftermath of the recent storms. We recognize this isn't the best time to be broadcasting an appeal but Tiny the pig is in a very dire situation and really needs our help and support.

Pardoned from the slaughter line as a piglet and brought to the Lewis Oliver Farm in 2008 at 10 months old and 200 lbs, Tiny has grown to be a 700lb bundle of joy and the star attraction on the farm. With his pink nose, black spots and a giant frame dwarfed only by his love for attention and belly rubs, Tiny continues to win the hearts of everyone he meets. Tiny has brought many smiles and lasting memories for all who love to visit him. He has been a good friend to many and now he needs our help!

As you those of you who frequent the farm may know, Tiny has been struggling with intermittent lameness over the last several months. While he has received excellent veterinarian care & treatments which have helped, our vets are not fully equipped to diagnose his condition unlike the vet centers in more rural, farm-dense areas.

There are many possibilities as to what is ailing Tiny as pigs are prone to various infectious joint disorders many of which are treatable with the correct diagnosis and course of treatment. While our vet has assured us Tiny is not in any physical pain despite his episodes of immobility, he obviously can't linger in this situation much longer. It is getting increasingly difficult for us to provide Tiny with the care he needs due to our limited access to resources which in additon to money include lack of fully equipped farm animal vet centers, limited experienced staff of caretakers (we are all just volunteers!), and with the winter snow and ice approaching, Tiny's pen and house which he has outgrown, will not provide adequate shelter or the level, dry ground he needs.

 We have grappled with how to best handle this situation and want to make the best decision for Tiny's welfare. We have consulted with other farms, experienced pig owners, our veterinarians and other vets for advice and all have confirmed that without knowing exactly what's wrong with Tiny, treatment and recovery are unlikely.

Through our networking efforts, our friends at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary   have offered to help. They are willing to help transport Tiny to an experienced vet center where a proper exam and diagnosis can be made and where they can hopefully get him on the correct course of treatment. From there, Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary has invited Tiny to live at their sanctuary where he will have access to a large, indoor barn and pasture and most exciting of all, the companionship of other pigs!

This will be a journey of hope for Tiny and a last chance for his improved health and recovery followed by a once in a lifetime opportunity for him to live out the rest of his days in piggy paradise. At the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, he will be surrounded in as much love as he has been at the Lewis Oliver Farm but with a much more experienced staff and more practical and suitable accommodations to fit his needs.

We would love to give Tiny this chance not just because of how much we love and care for him , but as a payback for all the joy he has brought to everyone in the community who has enjoyed visiting him at the farm. In order for us to make this happen we need to raise the funds to cover transportation and vet care costs. We have therefore set up a special appeal for Tiny which you can read about on our Save Tiny the Pig facebook page which links to our special FirstGiving page   .

We need as many supporters as possible to make this happen. If you would like to help, please "Like" and share our Save Tiny the Pig facebook page and if you want to help directly, please click through to Tiny's FirstGiving page  to make a small donation. Donations of any size will help and would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for your support and please help by sharing this far and wide!

With gratitude,

Friends of the Farm , Friends of Tiny