Sammy

💜 Sammy — aka Samuel T. Pig (when he’s in trouble) 🐷 Every rescue has a beginning. Ours began with Sammy. I had wanted a pig for what seemed like forever, but having one simply wasn’t an option at that point in my life. Then, in 2012, I suddenly found myself single and browsing the internet when I came across an ad for baby potbellied pigs. I called immediately — and just about dropped the phone when I heard the price! This was long before I understood the enormous overbreeding crisis surrounding potbellied pigs. Newly single and on a budget, I thanked the woman for her time and decided that someday, somehow, I would have my pig. Apparently, “someday” was only three weeks away. The woman called me back. She had one little all-black piglet nobody wanted. He was already neutered, and she would let me have him for $100. SOLD. Off I went to collect my baby boy, having absolutely no idea that this tiny black piglet was about to change the entire course of my life. Sammy was adorable. He was shy at first, but it didn’t take long for his personality to emerge. I began teaching him tricks and manners, and before long, Sammy went everywhere with me. He loved riding in the car, meeting new people and being part of whatever adventure came next. He also began his career in education and therapy at a very young age. Sammy visited preschools where children learned firsthand about potbellied pigs — how to feed them, clean up after them, provide proper exercise and nutrition, and understand the responsibility that comes with caring for one. But Sammy helped teach them something even more important: Pigs are friends, not food. They are intelligent, emotional beings deserving of our love, time, care and respect. And while Sammy was teaching children, he was teaching me, too. Because of him, I began learning about the heartbreaking reality facing potbellied pigs. Overbreeding. Zoning restrictions. HOA rules. Improper diets. Behavioral problems created by a lack of education. People purchasing “mini pigs” without understanding how large they could become or what caring for them truly involved. And, ultimately, pigs being abandoned because of it. Within Sammy’s first year with me, several more unwanted and misunderstood pigs had joined our family. I read everything I could get my hands on, but some of my greatest lessons came from simply living with Sammy and our rapidly growing herd. One pig became several. Several became a mission. And eventually, that mission became Saving Animals & Healing Hearts. Sammy is still one of the kindest, most loyal and loving animals I have ever known. I absolutely adore him, and there will always be something incredibly special about the little black pig nobody wanted. Because someone else saw an unwanted piglet. I brought home Sammy. And Sammy helped me find my purpose.