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Better Piggies Rescue welcomes three potbellied pigs to sanctuary
Hamilton, Fancy Francois, and Kissin' Kyle have found their forever home alongside 200 other pigs after being rescued from a run-down house. FOX 10's Annalisa Pardo learns more about their journey from being rescued, to settling in to their new home.
PHOENIX - Three little pigs who were rescued earlier this September and were looking for a new home, have found their forever home.
What we know:
"Woo! Go, Hamilton!"
Hamilton had his first sniffs at his new home, before immediately finding his way to a well-deserved mud bath.
"But Hamilton, that boy, I mean look how happy he is. That guy needed to get out of there, he needed some place to be," said Andy Gallo, an EMAT and animal cruelty investigator.
The backstory:
At his old home, he, and fellow potbellied pals "Fancy Francois" and Kissin' Kyle were rescued by the Animal Humane Society.
"It was sort of a beat-up, run-down house situation. Not a lot going on for the pigs and the owner was coming around once, maybe every few weeks," Gallo said. "All the neighbors were throwing food over the fence to take care of the pigs."
"The owner turned out to be a nice guy who said please take them, I can't care for them," Gallo continued.
New Home:
After months at Arizona Humane's shelter, which isn't set up to hold larger animals permanently, these three little pigs cried "wee wee wee" all the way to their new home at Better Piggies Rescue.
"The goal is to get them here, get them safe, and make them as happy as possible," said Danielle Betterman, founder and director of Better Piggies Rescue.
New Roommates:
With no houses made of straws or sticks, and no big bad wolf, Hamilton, Fancy Francois, and Kissin' Kyle can live in peace alongside more than 200 other new rescue pig roommates.
"There's a lot of bad information about pigs," Betterman explained. "And obviously people eat them so they don't think they are good pets, but just like dogs and cats, they are amazing pets, and they need that same compassion and care that dogs and cats receive."
By the numbers:
Potbellied pigs can live up to 20 years and grow beyond 200 pounds.
Dig deeper:
Better Piggies Rescue is using this opportunity to remind folks that "mini pigs" grow up to full size and have daily needs. The public can say hi and help out by volunteering at Better Piggies Rescue.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Andy Gallo, EMAT and animal cruelty investigator; Danielle Betterman, founder and director of Better Piggies Rescue; the Animal Humane Society; and previous FOX 10 reporting.