Darlynn's Darlins, Inc.

Well, we certainly never thought we'd be in the pig rescue and sanctuary business. Animals have always been part of our lives in the way they are with most people. They are the little creatures that we keep that crawl up in our laps hoping for a little attention. Or, they are the little creatures some people keep tied up in their backyard providing them with food and water and little else. One has to wonder why those people have pets at all.

Anyway, one day this baby pig appeared under a storage shed at my workplace. There was no rhyme or reason for it to be there and it was not a safe place for it to be for many reasons. One of the troopers was trying to run her down with the intention of growing her big enough to eat. The office was located right on one of the busiest streets in the city and the chance of her wandering away from the shed, getting into the street and run over was pretty good. I figured at least if I caught her, she'd be safe until I could find out what one does with baby pigs. So I caught her and took her home.

That has certainly turned out to be a fateful decision. Everything in our lives is different because of that one little pig being where she never should have been.

We have moved from a nice house in a nice little city out to the middle of nowhere. The closest store is 14 miles away. We no longer take vacations or have money to spend on non essentials. We have adjusted our workdays from five to seven per week and from eight hours a day to about seventeen, give or take an hour. Our lives are full, all right. Full of almost 100 little snooties and tails going like whirligigs and oof, oof, oofing all the while. They are so happy to be here, they say...

It has been a learning experience for us. Learning that there are not that many other people that actually know pigs, and those are spread out all over the whole of the United States. That there is a whole world of other people who are absolutely adamant about maintaining their (negative) view of pigs and have no desire whatsoever to find out why they are afraid to even consider any information contrary to their mindset. Finding out that if one is going to have pigs, they're going to have to learn how to tend to the majority of that pig's medical needs themselves because there are not very many veterinarians with experience treating pigs, although that situation is improving of late. Discovering that if one can accept a pig as a being entitled to a life of its own outside of the human food chain, and actually get to know it, well, the world and the things that go on in it will never look quite the same again. At least that's what has happened to us. Very quietly, without a sound, the world as a whole has taken on new meaning and we seem to see every aspect of it through new eyes. Hard to imagine that a little black pig could come along and be responsible for all that.

FUNDING
Our organization is mostly self-funded at this time. The Internal Revenue Service has granted us 501(c)3 status, that of a charitable organization, along with a time frame of five years to become publicly supported and self sufficient. We've certainly got a long way to go .....

We have started an online store with piggy things in them which we would love for you to visit. Click here to check out our store!

We have a never ending supply of piggies that would love to have sponsor parents that could contribute financially on a monthly basis to their care and come for visits and to give belly rubs. Of course there would be a newsletter and picture too.

It costs approximately $275.00 per week to feed the animals that live here at Piggy Heights. If you are in a position to donate to the cost of their food and care, please click here for more sponsorship/donation information. Donations are tax deductible on your own Federal Income Tax Return under the line "Charitable Contributions."

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