Penelope, a gorgeous Devon pig, was one of the 159 pigs surrendered to OMI when we moved to Tennessee and took over the herd in 2021. She lived in the Solsbury Hill Neighborhood, which is where our wind chime memorial garden is located. It’s a lovely place tucked away from most of the activity on the property, and you can often find pigs lounging on the hillside with the sound of the wind chimes in the breeze. Penelope’s ears were very forward facing, as is characteristic of her breed. When we needed to load her into the trailer for anything, we had to lift her ears out of her eyes so she could see where she was walking. It’s a testimony to how many other senses she used to navigate her normal environment here at the sanctuary. Pigs who are vision impaired rely on cues and communication from their herd mates for essential daily functions like finding the best nap spots and knowing where to find the best snacks. Penelope was good friends with Dandelion, Clover, Violet, Periwinkle, Tucker and Pheebee.
Penelope’s rescue was like many of the rescue stories we see here. The common theme is that pigs rarely get to keep their initial homes because the commitment is daunting. It’s tempting to take in tiny pigs because they feel manageable, but they grow very large and are often extremely difficult patients when it comes to medical care.
Caring for vulnerable animals who were selectively bred for what their bodies can produce means we have a lot of Sanctuary Babes who struggle as they age. Arthritis is a terrible thing for our pig friends. Penelope struggled with it pretty severely the last few months. We tried all our tricks and meds to help her, but arthritis wins every time.
We were sad to lose Penelope, and we honor her by choosing to celebrate the fact that she lived her life here in peace and safety, with all of her needs met. She will be greatly missed by her many friends on Solsbury Hill.