Rita was one of the 159 pigs surrendered to Odd Man Inn when we took over the Tennessee property in 2021. We identified her easily by remembering “Rita has the eye makeup” because she had darker eyes than her sister. Rita needed help up most days, and one leg didn’t work very well at all. In the world of big pigs, that’s big trouble.
She walked into the hospital under her own power in a very dignified fashion. The doctors who know her from our last visit had been working on some issues she was having, including pain management. We couldn’t let her be in that level of pain, and the reality was that we just couldn’t fix her failing old body. She’d been deteriorating fast. She was ready to go and we made the difficult decision to let Rita pass.
The student fed her a lovely bowl of peaches, and the doctors helped her join the rest of her pig family. She was the last surviving sister and the end of a beautiful era.
Loss is a painful part of this work, but it’s an absolute HONOR to meet their very last needs with compassion and kindness. They deserve every single gentle act we can offer them. Using our head and our hands and our heart to help make their lives easier is what sanctuary is all about.
If you’ve never met a 16 year old farmed pig, it’s one of the most rare and wonderful experiences. Not only did Rita beat the odds by landing in a sanctuary, but she lived longer than anyone would expect for her species. Rita was a special girl, but aren’t they all? She was a normal farmed pig, just like every other. She just got lucky enough to score a chance that billions of other pigs don’t get…they’re all exactly as special and wonderful as Rita.