A WOMAN’S love for pigs sent her on a 740-mile round trip earlier this month.
Susan Player, from Spencers Wood, organised the rescue of a 250kg abandoned swine in North Wales on Sunday, July 11.
With three pigs of her own, Susan hopes to open a sanctuary in the coming years. Her plan has been delayed due to a search for land, but she is determined to help in the meantime.
She documented the rescue on her facebook page, Little Pigs At Home, which features video footage of her four-legged grunters.
Having been abandoned at a sawmill by a farmer, the three-year-old boar called Harry, had been kept alive for the last 18 months by nearby villagers feeding him what they could.
With no fresh water or hay, once Susan found out about the situation, she felt compelled to help.
With no sanctuary of her own, she contacted Brinsley Animal Rescue, near Nottingham.
The charity agreed to take Harry, after creating space for his arrival.
That’s where Susan jumped in.
With her van already adapted for her own pigs, she volunteered to drive the 740-mile journey to ensure he arrived safely at the site.
“He was friendly but very scared,” she says. “It was one of the most stressful journeys of my life. I was concerned about him the whole time, because on long journeys pigs can get hot and stressed.
“We did our best and he got there safe.”
A spokesperson for Brinsley Animal Rescue said Harry is a very, very lucky boy.
They said Little Pigs at Home had an amazing team, stepping in and coordinating the rescue.
Susan says she would do it all again tomorrow, just to know he was safe.
“Every animal is worth saving if you can, and have the opportunity to,” she says. “And we could.”
She says the hardest part of the rescue was finding a sanctuary for Harry.
“They’re all completely full,” she says. “People get micro pigs for pets, but they grow big. There are lots that need to be rescued.”
She says there is no such thing as a micro pig, and said two of her own were sold as such originally.
Susan is now fundraising for a specialist trailer, to help rescue more abandoned pigs.
She says it will help transport the animals safely, as it is lower to the ground than a van — making it easier for bigger boar to get in.
“Until we set up our sanctuary grounds, transport services are something we can do,” she adds.
She hopes to raise £1,500, and any money beyond that will go towards barns for the sanctuary.
For more information, search for Little Pigs At Home on Facebook.
