TEXAS—One year ago, Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, assisted the Grady County Sheriff’s Office in Oklahoma at a large-scale rescue operation where hundreds of animals were living in deplorable conditions. The multi-species alleged cruelty case included dogs, cats, goats, fish, birds and one lonely pig who rescuers on-scene described as “sweet and curious.”
The pig was moved to Humane World for Animals’ Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas. The 1,400-acre sanctuary is home to nearly 600 animals—over 40 species—saved from cruelty and neglect. Sanctuary caregivers named her Sabine.
While she needed time to acclimate and discover what it is like to be a pig, Sabine now shares a large pasture with five other pigs and has everything a pig requires—a proper diet, toys and treats (apples are her favorite), and plenty of room to forage, wallow and sleep. It was apparent to caregivers that she likely never experienced any of this before.
Sue Tygielski, senior managing director at Black Beauty Ranch, said, “When rescuers first saw her, she was standing alone shivering in freezing temperatures. She was underweight and had no food or water in her enclosure. No animal should suffer like that. Sabine is a very resilient girl and has come a long way in a year, including learning how to make friends and holding her own with her group. At just 2 years old, she is by far the loudest of our 27 pig residents and makes us smile every day.”
Pigs are social animals who thrive on companionship. When Sabine first arrived, the staff determined that she likely had no social experience, so they had to slowly transition her to a group. First, she lived in her own pasture next to a 7-year-old pig named Wichita who arrived at the sanctuary in 2019 after being rescued by Humane World for Animals from a cruelty situation in Maryland. Through the fence, they did some sniffing, and Sabine got a sense of being with another pig. She was increasingly intrigued and curious about her new neighbor, and they had regular sniffing sessions and hellos through the fence.
When she was ready, Sabine joined Wichita in her pasture. With no social skills she did not understand and respect boundaries with her new friend and was quite pushy. They increasingly spent more time rolling around together in their wallow and eating food and treats with each other. Wichita taught Sabine the rules.
Once the two became friends, they were ready to go to a larger pasture with four other pigs—Bullard, Sandy, Cypress and Trinity. After a few weeks, Sabine figured out how to be part of the bigger group and now the six get along great. Since Wichita was Sabine’s first ever pig friend, they remain besties.
Black Beauty Ranch is one of America's largest and most diverse animal sanctuaries. Part of Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, the 1,400-acre Texas sanctuary provides a permanent haven to nearly 600 domestic and exotic animals—over 40 species—rescued from research laboratories, circuses, the pet trade, roadside zoos and other circumstances of neglect and cruelty. Residents include tigers, bears, primates, kangaroos, bison, horses, farm animals and more. The highly respected sanctuary is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and is a member of the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance and the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance.
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