Sisu Refuge

Sisu Refuge Pig sanctuary located in North Carolina
🐷❤️ Patreon.com/sisurefuge

03/17/2025

How Winnie greets you at the door. 🥹🐽❤️

03/16/2025

If you’ve been following us for a while, you probably know Chupie—this absolute unit of a pig is one of the happiest boys in the world! Chupes has a huge, fun personality to match his giant megawatt smile and he is madly in love with life.

When Hurricane Florence devastated North Carolina in 2018, Chupie escaped a flooded factory farm and survived in the woods for nearly a month. His best friend was killed before we could reach them, but Chupie found his way to us and made it out safe, and he's been with us ever since!

Chupie was one of the first pigs to ever touch hoof on Sisu, and he is so proud of his home. He loves his fluffy hay bed, naps in the pond, his wallows, and a fresh lineup of unsuspecting people to bite—right on the b***y. (Yes, we’ve all got a scar from Chupie.) 😂

Chupie has lived more than anyone ever expected! And now, Chupie is teaching us what it means to live well—til the very end. 🥹

Chupie has officially entered into hospice care.

Saying it out loud finally makes it feel more real, and it also allows us to begin grieving while he’s still here. And for us, grief doesn’t mean stepping away—it really just means showing up more, throwing ourselves into service of the animals, working harder, and making sure every moment is full of love - especially Chupes.

Chupie was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in 2022, and has been in our retirement pasture for the last year. Because of his age and enormous size, Chupie has begun to struggle with his mobility and has some weakness in his back end. He falls often, but the way he handles it is both heartbreaking and hilarious—he is always surprised and just picks himself up, and keeps going, like it was just a minor inconvenience…
like Eeyore when his tail falls off. 🥹

We know that one day, that will change. One day, it won’t be so easy for him to get back up and it won’t be so silly or sweet. One day, he’ll start telling us he’s tired. It's not today, but it’s coming.

For now, Chupie is happy. He’s enjoying his days, surrounded by the pigs and people who love him—still sneaking in as many b***y bites as he can and flashing his amazing smile. We are just grateful for every single happy day. 💛

Every pig here is someone, not something. Their lives are honored from the first day to the very last. If you want to be part of Chupie’s story in these final chapters, you can donate toward his pain medication and help us provide the little joys that make his days brighter. Even just a message of love for him means the world.

Thank you for loving Chupie with us. 🐽
And thank you to Chupie's sponsor, Megan. 🙏

Snackies & Medication:🍉
Venmo -
Paypal.me/nc42save

03/16/2025

Good morning scritchies! ❤️
Win reminds me soooo much of Hannah, Felix, and Goose when they were house babies. She did incredible last night, and today, we are going to try a bandage wrap on the tummy and start potty training.

She is healing my heart, but whewww, our girl is high maintenance... 😂

Lucky for her, this isn't my first rodeo, and I never sleep... so feeding every other hour is where I shine. Kinda. Send coffee. 🐽☕️

03/15/2025

Why does Winnie look just like Hanners? 😭

The doctors said that since we can still push the hernia UP into the cavity, there's no need to rush her to the hospital this weekend, but that we can bring her later this week when surgery is available. Right now, Winnie's got a fancy little thunder jacket on, and we have compression wraps for that precious tummy. She's an absolute angel, and I'll flood the stories later when the night chores are all wrapped up. She does NOT like being alone and prefers to be carried at all times! Where have we seen that before? 🤔🙄😂

03/15/2025

Declan's face when he meets a new piggy. 🥹😍

03/15/2025

Winnie is here! And she is a teeny, tiny peanut. 🥹 About the size of Baby Pancakes and with the face of Hannah. YES, my heart almost exploded. 😭

Felix is the first baby that ever used to do this on us constantly.... They miss their moms, and this is how they root to nurse. If piglets are separated from their moms too early - this can be a sign of comfort-seeking and wanting that maternal connection. It's their way of self-soothing, like when a baby sucks their thumb. Winnie is an angel.

I see you, Felix. 🥲

03/15/2025

🚨 Rescue Alert: Help Us Save Winnie!🚨

Some rescues feel like they’re sent straight from the pigs who we’ve loved and lost. And with Winnie, the timing is impossible to ignore.

Just one day after saying goodbye to our very first jumper, Felix—we got a message about Winnie, a tiny piglet who saved herself by jumping off a truck earlier this month. She was found in the road by a delivery driver and then given to a hog farmer. The farmer was about to send three other pigs to slaughter and didn’t want a piglet, so he posted her on a yardsale page! Thankfully, a nice wildlife rehabber saw the post and went to get Winnie before she fell into worse hands.

Now, Winnie is safe, but she not out of danger...

Winnie has a severe hernia, and without immediate care, her intestines could become strangulated. We’ve seen so many hernias over the years, but this one looks different. It’s incredibly concerning, and we’ve already reached out to VTech and our local vet.

Winnie needs surgery. She needs to be fully vetted and spayed. She needs a forever home. But most of all right now—she just needs a chance and a soft landing.

We’ve had so many jumpers, and there’s always something so magical about them. Maybe it’s their spirit, their will to survive, or the way they know they were meant for more. Every single one has carried a light. And now, Winnie is here to carry it forward.

But here’s the reality... I spent hours last night texting and messaging sanctuaries (some as far as New York and Kansas) trying to find anyone who could help her. Almost every time, it was a dead end. We cannot keep taking in permanent residents with the way our funding has been. Our vet bills and current expenses are already overwhelming, so we are asking for help and for a home.

We won’t turn our backs on such a brave little fighter – especially not one who Felix may have sent our way. Winnie deserves a chance at a happily ever after and we can help her right now.

And if you believe, like we do, that the pigs who pass send us the ones who need us next—please help us cover her hospital deposit.

💛 Donate to Winnie’s medical fund:
🐽 Venmo -
🐽 CashApp - $sisurefuge
🐽 PayPal - Paypal.me/nc42save
🐽 Text SISU to 801801

Please share, donate, and help us give Winnie a future. 🙏🐷

P.S. She's on her way to us right now, and we may have a lead on a home— so please keep your hooves crossed!

03/14/2025

Felix 2019-2025

Full Circle Love... 🥹🌈🐖❤️

When baby Felix arrived at Sisu, he fit in my hands. He was my very first "jumper," and from the moment we met, I loved him beyond measure. He would sleep on my shoulder like a kitten, cry if I was out of his sight, and he followed me everywhere.. He even slept in bed with us sometimes. I was his person.

As the years passed, he grew up and eventually moved outside, but he was still my little man. Then his health started to decline... much faster than I was ready for. I wasn’t prepared to see my tiny baby turn into a frail, little old man in just five years? And today, I held his face in my hands one last time as we said goodbye. 🥺

Sanctuary isn’t just about saving lives—it’s about honoring them, from beginning to end. Felix wasn’t "just a pig." He was the reason so many other little jumpers were rescued because he opened my eyes to what was happening on the trucks. Just by being Felix, he saved so many other pigs.

And today, his journey came full circle... wrapped in the same love that cradled him at the start.

These painful moments remind me why Sisu Refuge exists: to give animals like Felix not just a place to live, but a place to be deeply, unconditionally loved. And when their time comes, to help them pass with dignity and peace. Full circle love.

Thank you for being part of this journey. It means everything to know others care about pigs and see them for the amazing individuals they are. Their souls are just as bright as any other.

If Felix touched your heart, please honor him by supporting the residents who are still here, who still need that same love and support. Our retirement pasture is home to several pigs who need expensive medications and specialized care daily. From palliative care to hospice care.

A small donation in Felix’s memory ensures we can continue this work—and this full-circle care—for every animal who calls Sisu home. 🙏

❤️ Donate in Felix’s Memory →

Patreon.com/sisurefuge
Paypal.me/nc42save
Text SISU to 801801
Venmo -
CashApp - $sisurefuge

03/13/2025

Today is my birthday, and today, I held Felix in my arms one last time... 💔💔💔💔

This is one of the hardest parts of rescue - but is woven into the very heart of sanctuary.... full-circle care that begins with love and ends with love. Always.

I held Felix when he was just a fragile newborn, and I held him again today as he took his final breath... and it was hard. I had a flood of memories.

Felix has been with me for nearly his entire life, and I have been with him for his entire journey... We had five beautiful years together, and I wouldn't change a thing. 🥹

Letting go is never easy... But the greatest act of love is knowing when to help them leave us, no matter how much it hurts to say goodbye. Today, it hurt my heart so much. But it was peaceful for Felix, and now he is on to his next adventure. 🌌

Today, I want to celebrate the life he lived—the joy he brought me and so many others, all the lessons he taught me about myself, and the love he shared so freely with everyone he met.

He has left a mark on my heart, on this sanctuary, and on all who have followed his story. He was so amazing.

Felix, you will always be my tiny Flealick, and I will miss you forever. 💔🐷

03/11/2025

Sunset piggy loafs 🥹🐖🐖

Tessa came to Sisu Refuge after she was attacked by a pack of dogs on a small farm. She spent five weeks in the hospital and underwent a dozen surgeries to repair the damage done to her back and shoulders.

Max was found in the middle of the highway, with a broken shoulder, after he jumped off a transport truck.

Now, because of your continued support, this is their life. They get to enjoy snuggly sunsets together - safe and loved.

Thank you for making this possible! 🙏

03/07/2025

Hi, friends!

My birthday is in five days, and honestly, I don’t want gifts, cake, or anything for myself—I just want to make sure the sanctuary residents are taken care of.

Right now, we have over $3,500 in outstanding hospital bills, and while our costs keep rising, donations have slowed down.

Times are tough—we know it, and we’re seeing it firsthand. When the economy struggles, charitable giving is often one of the first things to go. But the hard truth is that our costs never go down, and their are lives depending on us.

For my birthday, I’m asking for one simple gift—help us pay down these vet bills so we can continue doing what we do best: giving rescued pigs the love and care they deserve.

If just 1,000 people gave $5, we could make a massive dent in these bills and cover the medications needed for this month. That’s the power of the rescue community, and I know we can do it together!

🐷 Will you donate $5 for the pigs and to help me celebrate my birthday on this ?

🔗 Venmo -
🔗 Patreon.com/sisurefuge
🔗 Paypal.me/nc42save
🔗 Text SISU to 801801

Thank you for always showing up when it matters most. This work isn’t easy, but because of you, it’s possible. 💕🐷

❤️ Erika

🔄 Can’t give? A share helps more than you know!

03/04/2025

It’s really disheartening to think about how much power Meta has over our sanctuary’s future. Facebook and Instagram now limit our reach to about 2% of our followers, meaning fewer people see our updates, fewer people engage, and ultimately—fewer donations come in to keep Sisu running.

Behind the scenes, we’re battling rising feed costs, vet bills, medical emergencies, equipment repairs, and the never-ending algorithm game. None of these things are cute or glamorous—and they definitely don’t make for fun, viral posts!

But they ARE what keep us going.
Sanctuaries don’t survive on love alone.
They survive on community support. ❤️

We just did our first hay run of the month, and the costs hit hard. If you believe in this mission, please consider becoming a monthly donor. Even $3/month makes a difference—or simply leaving a comment can help more than you know!

Here’s how you can help:
Donate below or become a monthly donor on Patreon.com/sisurefuge

Comment, share, and interact with any of our posts (this literally helps us reach more people!)

🐷 Thank you for believing in this mission. We can’t do it without you. – Erika

📸 Uno sunbathing today, waiting for his fresh hay! 🌞🐽

03/03/2025

Piggy Purrs! 🥹❤️ (and t***s 🐖💨) 😂

Clutch is incredible and has been doing amazing! But he has been going a little crazy in quarantine because he wants to be with the other pigs SO BADLY.

Clutch can hear the pigs and see them from his fence, and he is so incredibly lonely that he will just sit and try to talk to them for hours! Crying and squeaking for attention. He still doesn't quite get what this whole place is, and the poor kid is just dying to get over to everyone.

This weekend, he completely destroyed his quarantine pen and house—ripping siding, lifting pavers, and breaking anything he could get his little trotters or snout on. 🙄 At this point, keeping him isolated is becoming a safety concern for him, and we are carefully weighing the pros and cons of shortening his quarantine.

He has shown no signs of illness, and we have a call with our vet later today to determine the safest path forward for both him and the rest of the herd. Thank you to everyone who has been donating to Clutch and Sisu's ongoing rescue efforts! He is safe—and has a chance at a brand new life—because you all stand behind us. 🙏❤️

03/02/2025

Look at Xavier's smile! 😍 It is still the same smile from when he was a wee baby chonk. 😂🐷

Today, we’re outside doing a full property walk-through, putting together a priority list of spring and summer projects here at Sisu! We are starting March off reallllly strong, and the only thing slowing us down right now is piggies wanting tummy scratches. ❤️

At the beginning of the year, we launched a full-scale internal audit of the sanctuary—evaluating everything from facility upgrades to animal care protocols to enrichment schedules. This has been an intensive, eye-opening process of identifying and addressing our own blind spots and areas that need work so we can continue improving both the property and the organization as a whole. 💪

2025 is all about growth, refinement, and making sure Sisu is the strongest it’s ever been—because everything we do is about ensuring that we’re operating at the highest level for the animals who rely on us.

We’re wrapping up the first phase of our audit tonight and tomorrow, and we can’t wait to share some of our progress at the end of this week! At least 90% of running a farm sanctuary or animal rescue is invisible labor—things we rarely talk about and sometimes gloss over. But this year, we’re looking at ALL of it and dissecting every piece.

Want a behind-the-scenes look at what this process actually looks like? Sign up on Patreon or join our newsletter to follow along with the revamp! 🙏❤️

🔗 - https://linktr.ee/Sisurefuge

02/25/2025

NEW RESCUE ALERT: Meet Clutch! 🐽❤️

Hi friends! Even though we decided to pause new animal intake for 2025 to focus on strengthening the sanctuary, we couldn’t ignore the life-or-death situation that recently came our way.

Last week, with severe winter storms and dropping temperatures here in NC, our local animal control reached out to us about a young little pig who’d been on the run for about three weeks after escaping from a factory farm or falling off a transport truck. The local shelter didn’t have the facilities, and none of the other organizations we called could help him, so we knew we had to step in.

Meet Baby Clutch! Though he’s extremely thin, he’s a brave little fighter with a huge personality! Clutch has moved into Prissy’s old quarantine space, and we’re busy treating his skin, managing his re-feeding program and giving him the love care he needs to bounce back and start fresh.

Emergencies like this remind us that our mission to help animals is more important than ever – and we could really use your support in giving him a new life here.

If you’re able, please consider donating to help us make up for lost donations this month and to help us welcome Clutch to Sisu!

Every little bit makes a difference!

💖Patreon.com/sisurefuge
💖Paypal.me/nc42save
💖Text SISU to 801801
💖Venmo -
💖CashApp - $sisurefuge

Thank you for being with us every step of the way. Your support keeps us ready for these unexpected challenges.

He reminds me of Dobby. 🥹🧦🐖

02/17/2025

Happy Monday from this tater tot! 😂 Tunie is the new fodder inspector. Look at those cheeks. 😍

02/08/2025

Mama and Pew's last photo together from his euthanasia yesterday, all the way to their first photo together when he arrived in 2020. 😭💔

Mama has always loved Pew, but when he returned from the hospital, we were all stunned by just how protective, dedicated, and concerned she became. Over Pew’s last week, Mama never left his side—not even to eat.

And even yesterday, she was right there with him as he passed. The moment he was gone, she gently sniffed his face, as if she understood exactly what was happening. Then, she watched as Joseph buried him before quietly laying down by herself for the first time. 😭

For years, we’ve seen time and time again that pigs know when one of their friends is dying—long before we have any warning. They actually spend weeks saying goodbye, taking turns laying next to whoever is sick and guarding them. Pigs are incredibly intelligent, and they grieve their loved ones deeply.

We will be keeping a close eye on Mama as she heals from losing Pew. And to everyone who has donated toward his end-of-life care, thank you. Thank you for helping us care for these animals—from the moment they are rescued to the moment they are laid to rest. ❤️🙏

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4004 N NC 903 Highway
Albertson, NC
28508

Website

http://sisurefuge.org/

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Two years ago today, Nolan left this world. But not before he made his mark on it. Nolan was just six months old when he jumped off a truck bound for the world's largest slaughterhouse. He was found - injured and alone - by our friend Caroline, who filmed the first half of this video. We rushed Nolan to the hospital, hoping that we could save him. But his back had been badly torn open, and the wound had gone septic. His body had already endured too much.... Despite our desperate efforts and the incredible vets, Nolan passed away on this day, two years ago. 💔 But Nolan’s life was not in vain. For the first time, he knew that his life mattered—because so many people were fighting for him and showing him kindness. He became part of something greater, a legacy that carries on in every rescue we fight for. Mia had sent us Nolan, Nolan sent Mindy and Dani, Felix sent Winnie... and they will send others. Because the ones we lose always seem to find a way to guide us to the next pig in need. 🥹 Today, we remember Nolan. He was such a brave boy. We are so sorry for how the world treated you and views pigs, but we are trying to change that. 🌿 If Nolan's tory touched your heart, please consider honoring him by supporting our rescue efforts for others. We respond to 100% of the calls in our county for jumpers and we don't want that to ever change. ❤️ We also have Nolan snout print t-shirts, so if you would like to purchase one, please message us.100% of the sales go directly to Sisu.

Comin’ In Clutch! 🎉🐽 Our little outlaw has officially graduated from quarantine and has met his new pig family! 💛 Wish him luck as he takes this next big step into sanctuary life! Clutch has been beyond ready for this moment. He’s spent the last few weeks peeking through fences, crying for attention, and even completely destroying his quarantine pen - determined to get to the other pigs. Now, the wait is over. Clutch has started his new life for real. 🥹🐖 🌟 ICYMI: Just a few weeks ago, Clutch was on the run for his life. He had been surviving on his own for three weeks in the town over, after escaping from a factory farm or falling from a transport truck. No one knows exactly where he came from, but he’s definitely a farm kid. He was cold, starving, and alone—until animal control finally caught this little track star and called us for help! From the moment he arrived, Clutch proved he was a fighter. He was severely underweight, covered in sores, and completely exhausted—but somehow, he still had so much heart and joy, with this over the top insane, excited energy. We call it “Darla energy” now… and he’s got it. Clutch spent his quarantine period decompressing, getting used to the new humans servants, and easing into a regular feeding schedule. And now? He’s ready to be a legit sanctuary kid. Clutch has been meeting all the new pigs this weekend, including Gen-Pop to find his people. Boo is extremely interested in Clutch, and it’s the most adorable crush ever. Let’s keep our hooves crossed that they love him as much as we do! 🐷❤️ 💛 Rescue like this is only possible because of YOU. Your donations, your shares, your support—it all adds up to these life-changing moments. But responsible rescue isn’t just about saving an animal from immediate danger. It’s about making sure we can care for them for a lifetime. That’s why ongoing sponsors matters so much. Patreon is how we cover our monthly expenses. It’s

Winnie has been sitting with me all morning while I answer emails. 🥹❤️ Her little taco tongue. 🐽

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