09/20/2025
Dear 4H parents
Please consider opening your hearts and minds to a new way of teaching your children about farm animals.
When they beg you to keep the animal as a pet you have a choice to make.Instead of making your child send every farm animal sanctuary a desperate plea to save the animal filled with pics of their beautiful friendship taken at your farm complete with barns and amazing acreage…. Be their hero
Make no mistake or ancient reasoning,this decision will be one they remember FOREVER!! Instead of blaming sanctuaries who are bursting at the seams with limited funding use the experience to show your child you are listening to them and that you love them enough to not traumatize them.
They will remember loading their friend onto a trailer to never see them again for their entire life… read that again
Your excuse for saying no is always the same, the friend can’t stay because they don’t have a “use” on a farm. I am kindly asking you to consider an alternative to what “use” means to you.
Picture waking up and as you are looking out your kitchen window you see your son or daughter already awake and out of bed without you asking. Then you see a big pig walking right behind them.You realize they’re up because they were too excited to see the friend that you said yes to.
Every day for years you get to watch both of them living their best life. You learn things about pigs you honestly never knew because you were taught all sorts of myths carried from generation to generation.
One day as adults you’ll get to share fun stories together about all the shenanigans between your child and their friend you let stay. They’ll still feel the relief of the day you said yes like it was yesterday.
This scenario could look very different depending on the choice you make. I once helped parents of a child that wouldn’t come out of their room for months after they chose to say no.The day they come to you pleading and telling you how much they love their friend that they’ve bonded with for months consider what’s more important… twisted tradition or your child
We teach children “ Life is about choices” now it’s your turn to show them you practice what you preach
With Love,
~ An emotionally and physically exhausted farm animal sanctuary director that has to tell your child no but will remember the pics they sent me for years
I used a pig as an example in this letter but insert any farm animal
This letter is dedicated to my wonderful father who grew up on a farm but opened his mind and heart to how amazing pigs are. He always said yes to every stray I came across over the years and will leave a legacy some day of kindness to his kids and animals
