Bluey was raised on a “small family farm” with her brother. These farms are often advertised as more “humane,” but Bluey’s brother met the same fate as factory-farmed pigs; he was killed to be eaten. Bluey quickly became depressed after the separation from her brother, and was now alone with no other pigs to keep her company. As highly social animals, this sudden solitude was traumatic and unnatural. An employee on the farm, Sarah, noted the drastic shift in Bluey’s usual energetic behavior. Bluey lay lethargically in her pen, showing little interest in food and the world around her. Sarah began dedicating more time to Bluey, sitting in her pen and brushing her while speaking sweetly to her.
With time, Bluey regained her outgoing personality, and Sarah grew more and more attached. The owner of the farm informed Sarah that Bluey was soon going to be scheduled for “processing” – being killed. Sarah made a case against killing her friend and told the farmer she would pay to continue feeding Bluey until she could find a long-term, safe home for her. The farmer agreed, and Sarah found Critter Creek.
The Critter Creek Team was very compelled by Bluey’s story, but every animal rescue request has to be carefully considered, as we get many inquiries, sometimes several in just one week. An unspayed female pig poses the risk of different uterine infections and cancers, and the spaying procedure costs $1,000+, especially for an adult sow. We had to make the difficult decision that every sanctuary dreads, and turn the request down to ensure we would have the funds to continue the care for the animals already in our care.
Sarah and her coworkers didn’t give up. They started a GoFundMe and raised $1,000 in 24 hours toward Bluey’s spay procedure and reached back out to Critter Creek, asking if they could cover the procedure, if we could help save Bluey. With a recently expanded pasture for the pigs and money raised for the spay procedure, we felt we could responsibly take Bluey into our care!
Your sponsorship allows us to give Bluey the life she deserves and funds for her veterinary care, feed, enrichment, and more. With a monthly or annual sponsorship, you will receive a digital and print certificate of “adoption,” quarterly email updates with exclusive photos, and an invitation to our exclusive sponsors-only virtual tour. In addition, your name will be displayed on The Wall of Fame, acknowledging you as Bluey’s sponsor.
Sponsorships are not only a great way to support the rescued residents of Critter Creek, but they also make great gifts!