Chris was one of the 159 pigs surrendered to OMI when we moved to Tennessee in 2021. He was a member of the Old Guys’ Neighborhood, which was one of the very first we tackled in terms of repair and restoration. The mud in that neighborhood was dangerously deep, and the pigs had been left to navigate it on tiny feet and aging bodies. Chris hurt his back while trying to come out of his house in the mud, and an injury like that on a large breed pig is often catastrophic. Veterinary medical technology is not capable of fixing those things.
Chris was transported safely to the University of Tennessee, where he was humanely euthanized. It was one of the first of many humane euthanasias we had to perform when taking over this herd of pigs. Our standard of care for quality of life includes ensuring large prey animals are able to move safely through their space to manage their needs. That’s specifically important for PREY animals because of the way they are wired to survive. It instinctively causes them fear when they are not able to get themselves to places where they feel safe, and while in some settings it may be appropriate to provide medical equipment to help an animal through an injury, that is not a solution for a large pig who is scared and in pain. Making decisions around humane euthanasia versus treatment options must always consider the animal’s ability to tolerate any available treatment plan.
We proudly help the animals here live as natural a life as possible for as long as they’re able, but we do not force them to stay alive longer than their bodies will allow them. Quality of life is a very important part of Sanctuary Babe life, and we honor them with a peaceful passing when the time comes.