Gatlin was one of the original 159 pigs surrendered to OMI when we moved to Tennessee and took over the herd in 2021. He was a huge Red Wattle who behaved more like a Labrador retriever than a pig. He was friendly and goofy and always up for a belly scratch.
This huge breed of pigs is only meant for one thing—they’re bred to be turned into meat. They grow incredibly fast, which is very difficult on bodies no matter the species. He struggled with mobility issues even as a young pig, and we worked hard to help him stay comfortable. Gatlin’s messy genetics unfortunately also caused him to have intestinal problems at a pretty young age, and his cause of death was an intestinal impaction that perforated his bowel, which we only discovered on necropsy. Prey animals instinctively hide any signs of discomfort until it’s too late to fix, which makes caregiving extremely difficult in large groups of animals such as ours. Our caregivers assess every animal daily for mobility and appetite, but by the time we can see a problem with the naked eye, it’s often too late.
Gatlin was a valued member of the Feral Neighborhood, which is a huge family of giant pigs who have all survived the horrors of animal agriculture. We proudly honor Gatlin’s life by serving our mission and continuing to care for his family every day in a way that is respectful of the deeply emotional, intelligent, and vulnerable animals they are.