september 2016 newsletter · summer for a litter from jezebel, another pregnant california rescue....

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IRONWOOD

PIG SANCTUARY

Ironwood Pig SanctuaryPost Office Box 35490Tucson, AZ 85740

September 2016 Dear Supporter,

A few days ago we received an email from one of our supporters who had sent us a note saying she wasnot going to continue her sponsorship, not because she did not care about the pigs or Ironwood, butbecause she was going to support a different animal sanctuary now because there were so many in need.She changed her mind and will continue her sponsorship after reading about Mocha.

Another lady who is a monthly sustainer sent a large check for the entire year because she is not feelingwell and wanted to be sure our pigs got her support.

Both of these stories really touched me. It made me think about how does one decide who to supportamong the thousands of organizations, big and small, all manner of species, and all in need and worthy ofsupport. The decision is always difficult and the resources are limited. All of us here at Ironwood are sohumbled by your continued support and so appreciative. We are supported by young children who sendtheir allowance, elderly people on a fixed social security income and people with a wide range ofresources. Your loyalty has been remarkable. We and our pigs are so grateful.

I also have seen an explosion of new venues to help animals beyond the traditional organizations. We arebeing contacted by people who are doing blogs for sanctuary animals, writing books, Facebook, doingmedia interviews, new web sites for animal care positions, and rescue web sites finding homes and fostercare. Major progress is being made for animals by many of the big organizations because people whosupport them are making their voices heard.

Let us all do all we can to help the individual animals as well as adding our voice to the bigger picture ofchanging culture and laws that help to protect animals. We have seen many positive changes, but there isso much more to do. Gradually changing human consciousnessthrough so much increase in the exposure of how all animalsare so much like ourselves, I hope will slowly turn the tide totreat all animals humanely.

We sincerely thank you for choosing to help support our pigsamong the myriad of groups to choose from.

Sincerely,

President & CoFounder

IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARY Issue 72

I picked cute little Wylie up from a nice family inTucson who rescued him from coyotes who wereattacking him behind their house. An immedicate trip toour vet for a good cleanup and many stitches and he wasas good as new, minus a tail. One lucky pig indeed.

n Joshua Tree, CA a womanwas breeding (andinbreeding) a family of pigs.

When she passed away, a familymember herded the seven pigsinto a horse trailer out in the yardand abandoned them there with nofood, water or shade. A neighborfound them and got them to asmall nearby rescue. The ownerof the rescue was able to have hervet neuter the four boys but knewshe was unprepared to care for thethree females as well, especiallysince Ruby was obviouslypregnant and near to term.

Ruby arrived at Ironwood on May29, 2016 along with Pearl andSapphire, her daughters from aprevious litter. Pearl andSapphire are rather shy, but Rubyis a sweetie! It wasn’t too long

before we were able to get the twoyounger girls spayed. We also gotRuby set up in a separate penwhich had been baby proofed lastsummer for a litter from Jezebel,another pregnant Californiarescue. And so began the watch.We were waiting for Ruby tobegin nesting frantically which isthe typical behavior of piggy

moms about to give birth. On themorning of June 8th, just ten daysafter her arrival, everythingseemed normal for Ruby. Wewent inside to take a short lunchbreak and not long after, Tressiesoftly said over the two way radio,“Mary, I think you need to comeout to see Ruby.” With no fanfareat all, Ruby had quickly andquietly given birth to a litter of sixadorable babies.

As is typical for pigs who tend tohave a 60% survival rate, onlyfour of the little ones remain.Carlton, Jelly Bean, Londyn andSharona are happy, healthybundles of energy. Ruby is anexcellent mother, takingwonderful care of her babieswhile also allowing us to bearound them. When the babieswere born we were going througha terrible two week heat wavewith temperatures of 115-121

degrees. To keep Ruby and herfamily comfortable we movedthem into the largest bathroominside our Visitor Center. Somecarpet scraps, a little bedding hayand a crate were added to make acozy home for the piglets.

Thanks to a trail of animalcrackers Ruby learned to trotthrough the kitchen then go upand down a ramp on the backstairs to take potty breaks in thebackyard. Early on some of thebabies developed diarrhea andneeded Pedialite fed to them byeye dropper to keep themhydrated. Once the babies werestronger and the temperatures had

www.ironwoodpigs.org [email protected]

Issue 72 IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARY

RUBY & HER LITTLE ONESI

RRuubbyy && SSaapppphhiirree

dropped below 110 degrees we letthem go back to their baby proofpen during the early mornings.By mid morning, the kids wereloaded back into a carrier and withRuby trotting along behind, the

family returned to the airconditioned bathroom for theremainder of the day. A fewsuccessful days of this routine andthey were ready to spend thenights outside. Their “pen time”increased until they were able tosafely handle being outdoors allthe time.

It wasn’t long before the babieswere rooting in the mud, running

circles around their mom andplaying with toys. The next

milestone for the litter wasnibbling on solid food. It didn’ttake long for all of them to get thehang of that and begin bouncingfrom bowl to bowl to gobbledown the grain pellets. The nextachievement in their growth wasbeing allowed to go out into the

exercise yard with their mom.There was so much to explore!Huge mud wallows, wadingpools, toys, a playhouse and roomto run, run, run! The babies havea blast out there and Ruby is ableto get little breaks to herself whilethey play. Carlton, the only boyenjoys nosing around through thefencing to “introduce” himself toother pigs. Even at just a fewweeks of age, he is alreadyposturing and posing as an adultboar would. The girls arefascinated with the playhouses inthe yard and spend a lot of theirtime popping in and out of those.

Going out in the yard for recess isloads of fun but it doesn’t takelong before the kids are ready tohead back to the pen for somemilk and a nap.

As we’ve mentioned many timesin the past, babies are not a part ofour agenda. We spay and neuterto prevent pregnancies, but weoccasionally get pigs like Rubywho need a safe place to birththeir babies and raise a family.With your support, we were ableto do just that for Ruby. Watchingthe growth and changes ofLondyn, Carlton, Sharona andJelly Bean has been fun for thestaff, volunteers and visitors. Bynow the babies will have beenweaned. Soon Ruby and thepiglets can be spayed andneutered. Once they have healedand have grown up a bit more,everyone will be placed in a fieldto join a herd.

Do we want to do it again? No,not really. Will another pregnantpig enter our lives? Yes, mostlikely. It’s not what we want tosee happening out there, buttrying to stop the breeding seemslike trying to stop the ocean tidefrom coming in. It’ll just keep onand on. But your donations makeit possible for Ironwood toprovide a home for whoeverknocks on the door. Thank youfrom all of us.

---Donna



t’s been one hot tamale of a summer down here in the desert, but the piggies knowhow to stay cool! The wading pools, mud wallows and even their water bowlshave become the common hang outs for the pigs as they seek out ways to cool off.



Staying CoolI

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very popularactivity here at thesanctuary is our

Saturday tours. We have notbeen giving regular toursduring the summer becausethe intense heat makes itvery uncomfortable anddifficult for visitors, but thetemperatures should bedropping soon. We will starthaving visitors again in mid to lateSeptember but the exact date isdependent on the temperatures.

During the walking tour ofIronwood, you will venture intovarious sections of the sanctuaryto be greeted by pigs of all sizesand ages. There are 26 differentfields to accommodate the varietyof personalities, physical abilitiesand emotional status of theapproximately 575 pigs. In thefields along the regular tour route,there are particular pigs thatalways come out to meet and greetvisitors. In Sunset Field you arelikely to have Slater throw himselfat your feet in order to get a bellyrub. He LOVES to have thatdone! In fact, I’ve seen Slater get

so relaxed after numerous bellyrubs that he falls asleep and nevereven notices when the group hasmoved on. His siblings Tori andScreech as well as Big Charlotte

often line up near him to be pettedtoo. When you enter the PrincessField, you can count on Doctorbeing there to welcome you. Shewas released tous by herowners becauseof heraggressiveness,but you wouldnever believethat aftermeeting her.Doctor, whosefull name is Dr.

Charlotte Meatballs, is atotal sweetheart who can’tget enough attention fromeveryone she meets. She is aprime example of how anaggressive pig being raisedas an “only child” cancompletely reverse herpersonality after joining aherd and living in anenvironment more suited to

a pig. Walking through Doctor’s

field on the way to the back gateyou are likely to encounter Busteror Timmy, both waiting patientlyfor someone to notice them andprovide a nice back rub.

Winning the popularity contestover in the Northwest Field is

Dexter.Everybody lovesDexter! Just likeSlater, he’ll dropat anyone’s feetthe second youstart petting himso that you’ll rubhis belly. That iswhat Dexter livesfor….well, other

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Let The Tours Begin!

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than food which is his number onepriority. One look at his big bellyconfirms that too! Moving intothe Main Field next, you’ll be sureto see Pamela. She is such asweetie and loves getting

attention from everyone shemeets. Piglet is usually waitingby the gate where the tour ends inorder to thank everyone forcoming. She loves that saying,“Saving the best for last!”

If you are interested in comingout to Ironwood to meet thepreviously mentioned pigs andso many more, the best way toschedule that is by email. Yourtour must be scheduled ahead oftime….the sooner, the better sothat staff can plan their dayaround ensuring that you get tosee the pigs and the sanctuary.Here are some suggestions foryou:

1. Check the web site,www.ironwoodpigs.org to findthe opening date for Saturdaytours as well as the starting timewhich varies from 9:00 to 10:00depending on the season and thetemperatures. Directions to thesanctuary are also available onthe web site.

2. Email us [email protected] withyour name, the date you wouldlike to come, the number ofpeople in your party and whetheranyone will need physicalassistance. We do have a golfcart available for those whocannot endure the walking. It ishelpful to have advance notice ofthat so we can have a driveravailable.

3. If you do not haveemail access, you may call 520-631-6015 to set up your tour.Email is preferable though, as weare most often out taking care ofthe pigs and doing chores ratherthan being seated at a desk wherewe can take notes of your phonecall.



Since the entire tour takes placeoutdoors in full desert sun, pleasetake into consideration thephysical endurance and attentionspan of the members of yourparty. It is a walking tour throughdesert environment and takes 1½to 2 hours. We ask that you do notbring treats to hand out to the pigsduring the tour as having foodavailable can bring out badmanners in some of the piggies.Bad manners can lead to badbehavior since a few pigs haveaggressive tendencies when foodis involved. Here are somesuggestions to help you beprepared for your visit:

1. Wear comfortablewalking shoes that you don’tmind getting a little dusty.

2. Wear a hat andsunscreen as you will be in fullsun for the entirety of the tour.

3. Bring a water bottle.Refills are available.

A tour of the sanctuary isinformative and fun. You will gethands on interaction with lots ofpigs. You will learn about thesanctuary, pig behavior, the needsand wants of pigs, having a pig asa pet, the overwhelming issue ofunwanted or abandoned pigs andmore. Please remember toschedule your tour ahead of time.We look forward to meeting youand sharing the pigs with you!

---Donna

Schedule A Tour

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When I was a tiny baby I lived in acondo. Grandma locked me in thebathroom because I was too noisythen she tried to trade me off atthe feed store for a kitten.

I came from a hoarder along with 3

females. It may not have been an

ideal place, but at least the owner

had the good sense to have me

neutered and there were no babies.


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My owner got in trouble for havingme in an area not zoned for pigs. Youcan see a mark below my neck wherehe kept a collar on me that was waytoo tight.

I was just supposed to come here,get neutered then go back home,but my mom never came back toget me or even call to check on me.Everybody here is nice though, soit’s all good.

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There just always seems to be an endless supply of pigscoming here that need your support and help! Thosepictured here and many others are hoping to be chosen byyou. In exchange for a monthly donation of $30 to

sponsor a pig,you’ll receivepictures and yourpig’s history withan update andnew photos later inthe year. Pleaseconsider joiningour family ofsponsors today!

---DonnaPPrr iissssyy && DDoonnnnaa

SSoopphhiiee

I came from a “petting zoo” but itwas really just another hoardercollecting all kinds of animals. Theowner had never even named me ormy friends.

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My family moved awayand didn’t want to takeme or my friend Cookie along. I’mtimid and being around this manypigs was scary at first but I’m used

to it and like it here now.


AAggnneess

I have some permanent damage

to my foot that makes me limp

badly. After coming here and

getting on medication, it feels

better and it’s easier for me to

get around.

I was a house pig with my own

room until my owner’s son

moved back in and needed my

room for his baby. Really! I was

willing to share my stuff but….

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When I was a tiny baby I lived in acondo. Grandma locked me in thebathroom because I was too noisythen she tried to trade me off atthe feed store for a kitten.

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My owner got in trouble for havingme in an area not zoned for pigs. Youcan see a mark below my neck wherehe kept a collar on me that was waytoo tight.

improvements to their house andyard.

He was returned to his home onJuly 29th and the family was veryhappy to have him back. We arehopeful that Junior may get afriend from Ironwood soon.

While most of the work we do atIronwood is rescuing pigs andbringing them here to Ironwoodor to one of our foster homes, overthe years we have done a greatdeal of outreach as far away asFlorida. We try to keep pigs intheir homes whenever possible byoffering to help buy the grain orbuild fencing or spay or neuter orwhatever is necessary for the pigto remain safe at home.

I wanted to let you, oursupporters, know your donationshave fingers that reach beyond thepigs here at Ironwood. It is part ofour mission and always has been.



art of our MissionStatement says we assistowners and other

sanctuaries. Over the years wehave grown dramatically becausewe have taken the pigs from threeother sanctuaries in AZ, includingthe one where we began our loveof pigs where we volunteered andlater acquired as our Annex.

We have assisted other sanctuariesas well by providing part or all ofthe grain for their pigs in order tokeep the pigs in place and at thesame time provide better care iftheir facility is not able to buy thefood.

In May of this year we got a call tocome pick up a pig from a womanin Phoenix. She had found himand could not keep him becauseshe had big dogs and no otheryard to keep him safe. Ben andBob drove up to pick him up. Shehad put him on Facebook so hispicture and location was quicklyspreading through social media.Not long after Ben and Bobarrived home with him we got acall from the people who had losthim nearly six weeks before.They sent us pictures of him andfor sure he was their pig. Hisname was Junior. He was about 1½ years old and not neutered sowe offered to neuter him. Hewould be a better pet and not havethe desire to wander. They agreedso little Junior was neutered andremained with us during hisrecovery while they did

POutreach, Part of Our Mission

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In late December of 2015 we gota call for help. A couple had takentwo adults and one young pigfrom Craigslist and were in bigtrouble. Precious had babies onAugust 28th and Lily had babieson Sept 11th. Lily was still verytiny. They adopted out Lily’sbabies but still had Daddy andthree of Precious’ babies andknew they would soon have manymore if they could not get help.

They called us and we agreed topick up all six pigs, spay andneuter them then return them oncethey were all recovered. Theywere certainly a group of sweetpigs. Drummer, Christie andPatch were only 14 weeks old andLily was a baby herself eventhough she had already givenbirth. Precious and Mr. Pitts werethe adults. By early February of2016 all the pigs were ready to gohome and thankfully all were welland there were no more babies.The owners were anxious andready for their pigs’ homecoming.

Sadly one of the owners who wasrecovering from a stroke hadanother stroke and is now in anursing home so the pigs willhave to be returned to us. We arenow providing food for them andmeds for Precious who isbecoming arthritic until we areable to bring them back toIronwood. ---Mary

Going Home

Pigs Back to Their Home



Pigs at Ironwood Before Returning Home

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Even though it’s still hot here in the desert, we are thinkingahead to the cold nights that will be coming our way thiswinter. The piggies love to snuggle and nest in a pile of

blankets once it gets chilly. Comforters are everyone’s absolutefavorite….nice, soft and fluffy! Yard sales and thrift stores aregreat places to find used blankets and comforters at good prices.If you know of a hotel or resort doing a remodel, that can be afabulous source for bedspreads and blankets.

We have beenstockpiling all summer withthe help of your generosity butknow the pigs will be needingand wanting lots more. Be onthe lookout for blanketbargains! The pigs love thoseblankets and love YOU forsending them!!



ICalling All Blankets

GIFT CARDS

Walgreen’sHome DepotLowes

Our

Wis

h Li

st MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Postage Stamps (Forever, Post Card Stamps, 47 and 34 cents)Other denominations can also be usedUsed Blankets are always welcome Peanut Butter, CREAMY ONLYAnimal CrackersProbioticsChildren’s Multivitamins (NO IRON)Fig Newton Cookies (NOT individually wrapped)MucinexFiber Powder (NOT Metamucil & NOT Orange Flavored)Flaxseed Oil CapsulesStool SoftenersRanitidine Acid Reducer, 150mgTarps, Heavy Duty 8X10 or 10X12Utility KnivesDuct Tape (Heavy Duty Preferred)

WalmartAmazonOffice Depot

DiscoverMasterCardOffice Max

TargetFry’sStaples

We have a wish list on Smile.Amazon.com.They offer free shipping on many items if

you sign up for Amazon Prime.



Thank You For Remembering theSanctuary in Your Estate Plans.

The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary has been the recipient ofBequests from many of our supporters. These donors feltthat they needed their assets during their lifetime, butdecided to link themselves forever with the ongoing life ofthe Sanctuary by making bequests through their wills. The

Mary C Schanz Foundation is doing business as (dba) the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary. For yourWill please use both names (although it is okay if you’ve already used only the Ironwood PigSanctuary name), the post office address from the back cover and this tax identificationnumber for the Foundation: 86-0999483. Your support makes it possible for us to give aloving home to almost 600 Pot-Bellied Pigs in our care and is very much appreciated.

We acceptdonations

with the fourshown credit

or debitcards for

yourconvenience.

We appreciate all of our Supportersparticularly the Sponsors who donate bycredit card, debit card or e-check each monthand also our Sustainers who do the same.We charge your account on the 8th or 22nd ofeach month. It is great for us to be able tocount on these donations at those times. Justabout the time our account is running low wesay “all is well” because we are running thecredit cards today!

You can be a Sanctuary Sustainer bymaking a monthly donation of $5, $10, $25,$100 or any amount you choose which ischarged to your credit card, debit card or e-check each month.

The amount, which is determined by you, willbe there each month to care for the Piggies. Tosign up, just fill out the form on the enclosedreply envelope and indicate your monthlycontribution or go to the Support page of ourweb site and make your individual or monthlydonation by PayPal (no PayPal accountrequired).

You can make secure One-Timedonations, Sponsor, or MultipleSponsor or Sustainer donations tothe Sanctuary with PayPal usingyour credit card by going to theSUPPORT page of our web site atwww.ironwoodpigs.org. No PayPalaccount is required.



n 2007 we broughtMolly and four ofher babies to

Ironwood. Molly wasnever released to us butwe offered to spay herand take her remainingbabies. Molly was awonderful pig and Ireluctantly returned herto a home that was not sogood but at least we knew

she would not have other babies to care for.

Atticus and Seymour were two of those babies whowere adopted to two of our supporters here in Tucson.They provided a good home but after a couple ofyears Atticus and Seymour outgrew their home, so wehappily agreed to take them back to Ironwood. Theyhad both grown into quite large animals and we knew,as Mario and George knew, that they needed a largearea to run, root and play in. We had just the place forthem in our Sunset Field. Atticus and Seymour havelived there together with many other friends for thepast seven years. They never really got socializedsince they were not real young babies when they wereadopted and therefore more difficult to socialize.

Atticus is handsome standing here beside this grandold Saguaro Cactus that has been here hundreds ofyears before Ironwood arrived and is now beginningto crumble from age.

I

I R O N W O O D P I G S A N C T U A R Y N E W S

IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARYPOST OFFICE BOX 35490TUCSON, AZ 85740-5490520-631-6015ironwoodpigs@yahoo.comwww.ironwoodpigs.orgwww.facebook.com/IronwoodPigSanctuarywww.instagram.com/IronwoodPigSanctuary

NON PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDTUCSON, AZ

PERMIT NO. 2216

Return Service RequestedPublished at the above address regularly.

SEPTEMBER 2016ISSUE 72

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Page 16 IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARY Issue 72

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AAAAttttttttiiii ccccuuuussss

IRONWOOD

PIG SANCTUARY

en and I picked up Poppin, Frodo, Augustaand Agnes in March of this year. We got adesperate call from a lady who was helping

to place many animals who had come from a hoardernear New River, AZ. She could no longer feed or carefor them so all the animals were relinquished. Thepigs had been temporarily taken to a nice lady whoalso runs a horse rescue, but she was not able to keepthem.

They were all in reasonable condition except forseverely overgrown hoofs and little Agnes who, wewere told, was very crippled from birth. We put themin a small field so Agnes could stay with her friendsand be able to get around the field. As you see theyhave settled in nicely here at Ironwood and are verycontent. They will never live in sub-standardconditions again. Sadly Augusta fell ill not long aftertheir arrival. We took her to our vet and she wasfound to be in severe kidney failure and had to beeuthanized.

B

Front and Back Covers

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MISSION STATEMENTThe Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is dedicated to eliminating the suffering of pot-bellied pigs by

promoting spaying and neutering, assisting owners and other sanctuaries, and providing apermanent home in a safe, nurturing environment for those that are abandoned, abused,

neglected, or unwanted.

* Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is accredited by the American Sanctuary Association.* The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and

your donations are tax deductible.



I R O N W O O D P I G S A N C T U A R Y N E W S

IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARYPOST OFFICE BOX 35490TUCSON, AZ 85740-5490520-631-6015ironwoodpigs@yahoo.comwww.ironwoodpigs.orgwww.facebook.com/IronwoodPigSanctuarywww.instagram.com/IronwoodPigSanctuary

NON PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDTUCSON, AZ

PERMIT NO. 2216

Return Service RequestedPublished at the above address regularly.

SEPTEMBER 2016ISSUE 72

AAggnneess && PPooppppiinn


september 2016 newsletter · summer for a litter from jezebel, another pregnant california rescue....

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