Biscuits arrived at OMI after being picked up as a stray by the Humane Society for Southwest Washington. Local dog and cat shelters often carry a contract with the county for managing stray animals, but they only have facilities that are equipped for dogs and cats. It leaves farmed animals in a difficult situation, and it puts them at risk for being taken to the livestock auction. Biscuits was a very fortunate little guy to end up in a sanctuary.
Biscuits is partnered with a little potbellied pig named Mister Lee, and for a brief time period the two boys were adopted out together to a woman we knew in Washington state. When she became gravely ill, OMI took the two boys back under our care. Adoptions are very tricky when it comes to farmed animals who are typically seen as food animals. We were able to do it very successfully in the Pacific Northwest by requiring adoption applications and mandatory home visits. We mentored hundreds of people through adoptions of chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, donkeys, geese and even pigs. We charged no fees at all. The only requirement was that the person provided a safe home and promised to return the animal should anything change in their life circumstances. The most difficult part of any adoption process is the long term commitment required by the adoptive family. Pigs are notoriously the most challenging of all species to find safe homes that can make a lifelong commitment. We have found very few of them in the years we have been in operation.
