Doc is one of our smallest pigs on the property, and he is one of the 159 pigs surrendered to OMI when we moved to Tennessee in 2021. He was surrendered by a breeder when he was injured at birth. Breeders typically don’t want to spend any of their profits on medical care, and a lucky FEW of those broken babies end up in sanctuary homes where they have a chance to recover.
Doc lives in our Med Barn herd with his family of potbellies whom he adores…. Dixie, Petunia, JoJo, Willie, Hazel and Hamlet. The Med Barn is a slower pace lifestyle for older and smaller pigs who need more support, and we are able to closely monitor food intake to ensure they do not gain too much weight. One of the most detrimental things we see with pigs of all sizes is being overfed and overweight. Their small legs have trouble handling any excess weight, and it causes arthritis in their joints. Diets are very strict in the Med Barn, and the animals are used to very regimented routines. They thrive with that level of care, which is an important part of Sanctuary Babe life.
