Our journey with pigs started in 2018 with Wilber, Wendy, and Winifred, three managalitsa pigs, a dream of being homesteaders, and a desire to teach our kids how to reconnect to a life so disconnected from everything. Not long after came a whole herd of piglets, all having names that started with 'W' (you wouldn't believe how hard that was). We had no clue what we were actually doing. What we do k
now is that somewhere along the way, we absolutely fell in love with those fuzzy babies. How we ever could have thought we would go through with it is beyond me. Anyways, one piglet by the name of Waffles became sick. Jon took him to the vet where they treated him and sent him home. Please keep in mind, we didn't know then what we know now. We didn't realize that people took their pigs to hospitals or that there was this great wise Cat Drose out there and who the heck was Mo??? We cleaned out the heated tack room that Jon used as a wood working shop and kept him in there. He'd get better for a few days and reek absolute havoc on the shop only to crash to the brink of death. This went on for weeks, until weeks became a month with countless trips and communications with the vet. Nothing we did fixed our poor little Waffles. We sat with him for hours, feeling like we were neglecting everyone else. Then came the day we knew in our hearts was coming. Jon took Waffles to vet and his breathing was the worst it had been yet. Waffles didn't even make it half way through the trip. We'd be lying if we said this day didn't have a profound impact on either of us. Neither of us can talk about it without getting emotional. What lead us to start our sanctuary is having to rehome that herd of pigs that we loved so much. We are forever grateful for the homes and love that they have. We tried so hard to keep them, but were just not able. Two of Wilber and Wendy's piglets went to Barn Sanctuary, Johnny and CJ, and it is our experience with them and Bruno's Barn that helped us make our decision to one day have a sanctuary. We knew in our hearts that we needed to honor the special boy that impacted us so much. Waffles' food bowl hangs in our bathroom, his hoof print hangs on the pig room wall, and his ashes are on Jon's desk. He's with us every day. That is why we call our Sanctuary, Waffle We-Tweet (retreat, Elmer Fudd voice)
