|
January 2014
Month starts with 50 very small Norway Spruce trees planted on the upper field.
Volunteers here to help spread wood chips for pigs winter walkways.
Pints for Pigs fundraiser in Seattle at Central Cinema held for Pigs Peace Sanctuary thanks to NARN. On the same day we had a horrible rain storm and severe flooding where 24 year old senior pig Larry lives with 22 year old Margaret. This month beats the record wetness for the Pacific Northwest!!
Calls come asking if we will take pigs but also cows, roosters and horses -all different people. We have over 40 requests to take pigs this month alone! Many bite, have behavior problems or they were misinformed by the breeder. If people would visit here before getting a pig they would have information on the true needs, care and behavior of a pig.
Posts and fencing put in for extended area for handicapped pigs. This takes weeks to complete. "Promised" volunteer is a no show x 2 days promised.
New barn started for a 3 bedroom choice for handicapped pigs to have a sleeping place in their upper field. Lumber delivered at site. Pigs fenced off while building happens.
Judy to North County non-profit networking meeting.
Conservation district representatives here for water catchment system consult and rain garden planning.
Our 15 apple and pear trees pruned.
Month ends with fencing removed to double Special Needs area.
February 2014
Veterinarian here for care of horse hoof abscess.
Building work continues for new barn for "Ziggy and Elsie group". Roof started. County Conservation consult re: excess water needs.
Call comes as 10 month old piglet attacking her son. Another call Craigslist pig is mean and has skin itch. 17 new apple trees planted for the pigs for years to come. Call comes from across the state re: large young farm pig found on highway. We help with consult to Rivers Wish Sanctuary in Spokane and WSU veterinary lead veterinarian to have pig spayed.
Judy in car accident in Marysville. Other driver swerved not to be hit by hitting her car! Piggy Girl -senior pig died after long battle with aggressive cancer. Water line is broke! The many surprises of an old farm is wondering where the water line is and finding it the 'hard way'.
Days of frozen weather meant frozen pipes here. No fun!
Moved 4 pigs from main group to medical observation. Building complete of new barn and now it is ready to paint.
Veterinarian here for pig Sally and rear leg limp = foot abscess. Sally happy to have recovery be "in the yard".
Pig Kevin here after living as a condo piglet x3 months until not wanted then to Craigslist.
March 2014
Pig Molly died. She is buried by the garden between 2 apple trees -a favorite spot for her.
Volunteers start painting of new barn -1st the rafters then walls. Piglet Webster here after impulse buy from teen and a Craigslist ad. Sally pig continues in medical care for foot abscess and skin treatment. Custom doors ordered for Education Room to help with draft and heat loss. Windows sealed against heat loss. Clogged pipe repaired.
More calls from people wanting me to take their pigs. They never called asking to adopt! Very frustrating. Everyone wants a piglet -"not a pig." 200 small Norway Spruce trees planted - to give future shade in years to come.
5,000 Children's books printed for the Education Room and outreach.
5,000+ sanctuary info pamphlets completed at printers.
Call comes from family in Bellingham concerned about their pig being depressed. They love him dearly and he sleeps all day.
New exterior lights installed for night darkness help.
Information given to South Sound Vegans for future fundraiser for Pigs Peace Sanctuary.
April 2014
Month starts with sadness as a senior pig Patch died. The same day a kind woman in Southern Oregon calls re: an abandoned pig left behind when the people moved. The pig has no food or water and is in a deplorable state. This woman never gives up on the pig and we help her as best we can from a distance until the pig is safely loved in a new home. Our barn cat's large room is "spring cleaned". A big job.
Farm pig Elsie sick, refused food and lethargic. A concern and worry. She is better the next day and fully normal day 3. Pig Sally back to the main group with her best friend Emma Sue with a complete recovery of her toe abscess.
New fence started for expansion for the "Ziggy bunch". 36 small trees planted and one week later 40 more trees planted. Senior dog Sadie has many seizure type episodes from morning to night. Veterinarian called immediately. Sadie is "normal" the next day.
Call comes from woman who wants to keep a pig that wandered onto her property. She comes here to learn about best care practice. Visitors here from Minnesota, also special visit day for birthday request. Lakeside school students here from Seattle. They do a day of volunteer help for the sanctuary.
Sanctuary dog Spot to veterinarian for skin allergies; an ongoing struggle for this small terrier.
Pig Wilbur here for fitness camp and the hope of a new pig friend for him to take back home with him in a few months. Wilbur wants to fight all the "adoptable" choice pigs and likes the not for adoption pigs.
Cracked water pipe in pump house means NO WATER! Again!
May 2014
Visiting season starts and we fill up fast with visitors. First weekend is two day Bake Sale at Vegan Haven in Seattle for the pigs. Thank you bakers and thank you buyers!
Judy Woods interview for Social Injustice Project.
First weekend we have a work party here and fence project completed.
Sanctuary dog Sadie dies from brain tumor.
Pigs Buttons and Margaret to the veterinarian for hoof trims and we have flooding when we come home!!
Redmond High Animal Club visits.
Large home school group visits.
Netting up in ceiling in the barn to discourage swallows nesting this summer. We leave many choice places for the birds to choose.
New volunteers from Oregon want to come monthly. Volunteer group from Canada wants to come monthly and do projects!
We welcome pig 'Beans' here. She is a very sweet girl who has waited a very long time on our waiting list. Sorry Beans, glad you are now here! She immediately is friends with piglets Kevin and Webster.
Rototiller here and now off our wish list.
Desperate call comes from mom whose children have severe allergic response to piglet -must keep piglet penned in garage. We say yes to little Otis and he is here. Staff at Pasado's in Sultan visit to learn to make life better for pigs they take in. Judy happy to share information and hopes it is followed through.
Call comes from sanctuary in Canada requesting help with pig care. Judy interviewed for documentary.
Call comes from woman who has pig living in third floor apartment for years and "wants to move so someone has to get it" !!
Calls come from Wyoming regarding pig found living on floor of pickup paralyzed from the waist down with open sores. Judy makes over 100 calls to get help with transport. Karen of Animeals in Missoula Montana immediately says yes and helps -Judy to Missoula for pig. The first day to the sanctuary "Honey" to the veterinarian for complete physical examination and x-rays.
Month ends with fundraiser of a chili cook-off put on by South Sound Vegans. Thank you animal loving friends.
TLC pig Bingo died unexpectedly and his partner for years -Gladys, mourns him crying, refusing to eat and refusing to move from the "spot" he died. Very very sad.
June 2014
Honey starts a new life at the sanctuary. Young piglet Otis is happy to be her friend and sleeps and eats with her. Senior group visit as well as many others this month, many from out of state. Ohio, California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Montana and Colorado. University of Washington group to visit -students and professors.
Our very old McIntosh apple tree breaks apart with large branches falling -pruned. Newsletter to printer.
Wheelchair for Honey ordered and trialled when here -very bad experience. Dog Jenny to veterinarian for tumor on leg, surgery scheduled.
University of Washington summer quarter class starts with classroom held at Pigs Peace Sanctuary every Wednesday summer quarter. First class is introduction and information of pigs and sanctuary life. Calls come requesting -do I take roosters? Peacocks?
Gravel delivered and spread.
Canada Animal Rights group here for work party.
Honey to veterinarian for spay.
Call comes from people wanting pigs for land clearing and rototilling and don't' want to pay for pig or feed it, just let it root" Oh my! Judy explains sanctuary philosophy.
July 2014
Sanctuary dog Jenny to veterinarian for nerve sheath tumor removal from her thigh. Biopsy reveals malignancy. Jenny must be in intensive care for healing.
Pigs to veterinarian for hoof trims.
South Sound Vegans visited and volunteered.
Seattle's KING 5 Evening Magazine here to interview and film. Sanctuary horse Pilgrim lame. Veterinarian here and Pilgrim to intensive care for laminitis. TLC pig Ralph died after long time with cancer. His best friend Sweetie is very depressed after he died.
Many days are full with visitors. So wonderful to have so many meet pigs. Sanctuary's very reliable and much used van does not start one day and must be towed to repair shop.
Visitors and volunteers come from Kansas and help immensely as they showed up five minutes after we had NO WATER!! They carried five gallon water bottles to fill up pig water dishes and ponds! Visitors also helped with pump until we had water back. This took all day.
Call comes from Beagle Freedom Project who typically rescue beagles out of labs. There is a pig in a research lab to be released -will we take her? We say yes but must wait until swelling and infection from spay is healed. Beagle Freedom Project will bring pig to us. The pig is at a lab in Utah and we will never know what has been done to her. She arrives here on the last day of the month. She will have the name Alice instead of a number. She truly is Alice in Wonderland here!
A woman with a family bought a pig from a breeder who is very aggressive to all and asks for help. We take the seven month old and he is instant friends with two year old Chester pig.
Ten dump truck loads of wood chips delivered. Yes all for winter preparations. We must start in the summer because chip supply will be depleted if we wait until the need in the fall. Canada Animal Rights group has work party here and much is accomplished with fencing put up and moved for TLC pigs. 160 bales of Timothy hay delivered and stacked -all pigs house, now FULL FULL of hay!
August 2014
The 1st of August is Alice the pig's 2nd day of life at the sanctuary free from lab confinement and research. She is excited and happy to see everything new! Visitors here and they help teach Alice that people are friends -all people, all the time will now be her friend.
Volunteers come and help with weeding. We do not use herbicides and pesticides here so the tedious and unending job of pulling weeds is a continuous need from Spring to Fall -Thank You to all volunteers who do any part of this work! You are especially loved by the earth and it's inhabitants!
Fall 2014
Truckloads of hay to pig beds to ready for cold weather. Twenty five truckloads of chips for pig walkways in the wet months ahead.
Piglet Amos neutered. Young Honey and piglet friend visited in the pigs Special Needs area. Honey afraid. Feeling vulnerable? Moved back to “her place.”
24 x 31 metal shed constructed to park farm equipment in winter and be a shaded waiting area for visitors in spring, summer & fall. A 13 x 21
addition to building becomes a hay filled sleeping spot for our Special Needs pigs!
Feral found dog Sadie died as a very senior girl after living years at the sanctuary after her rescue.
Judy does site inspection of someone wanting two pigs. Place was disgusting and unsafe with wire & metal all about pigs area. Later I find out she
lied so she could get free meat!!
Countless visitors continue every visit day. Some from as far away as Japan, Ireland and New Zealand. New volunteers start after they visit. Pigs to vet for hoof trims.
Sanctuary house furnace repaired. Year ends with winter storms blowing trees down and power out!
Overwhelming how many calls come of people wanting me to take the piglet they got in spring and now don’t want. Winter is coming!
|
