Nod was part of a sibling group of three that were part of the 159 pigs surrendered to OMI when we took over this property in Tennessee, and it was easy to tell they were a bonded trio of family members. Nod, a huge mature adult Berkshire lived here, beside his sisters, Wynken and Blynken, for most of their lives. Nod was a gentle boy who was a master swamp digger!
Nod had a difficult medical situation that’s very hard to diagnose in the field. He had a urinary blockage that put him into kidney failure. We transported him into the University of Tennessee for evaluation, but the blockage had done too much damage, and we lost him. Castrating males too young puts them at risk for blockages like this, and we suspect that was the case with Nod. It was a heartbreaker to lose him so suddenly. Nod is survived by his sisters and his many friends in the Cabin House Neighborhood.
End of life care is an essential part of our work as an animal sanctuary. We do our best not to shy away from the heartache, but rather we embrace their passing as a very normal part of their lives.The only thing we CAN do is commit to a life where we do not intentionally harm animals out of willful ignorance and arrogance. The choice to leave animals off our plates is truly the most powerful act of compassion any of us can perform.