Champ and Alfie
Champ and Alfie are best friends and live by themselves in the pasture right next to the house. These boys are some of the cuddliest you'll meet and have overcome major health challenges, growing into much bigger, stronger pigs than we could have ever hoped initially.
Champ was rescued during Hurricane Florence in Fall 2018, and when we found him, he was unable to walk. Come to find out, he had shattered his ankle, and had to stay many months at a local university's veterinary hospital. Our sweet Champ has a fighting spirit, and welcoming him home to the farm was the best day ever for us. He has grown since his rescue, and now Champ's formerly broken leg is a bit shorter than his other legs. He wears a prosthetic brace to give him extra height and support to that leg, and it doesn't slow him down a bit! He amazes us every day, and despite having no reason to trust humans, has shown nothing but affection and adoration since Day One. He is often a favorite among visitors, and certainly among vets and vet techs at the hospital where he makes several visits each year to receive STEM cell treatments to help the arthritis in his leg.
We rescued four other pigs in Hurricane Florence, and they were all a bit older, larger, and more rowdy than our laid-back little Champ!
Champ needed a more laid-back companion and we were worried that he could re-injure his leg out playing with the "big pigs." Then, along came Alfonzo! In summer 2019, Kristin was working on a hoarding case in Indiana when she met Alfonzo, still a baby at about 60lbs who had seizures and other medical issues. Little Alfie was bullied by all the fully-grown pigs and would seek refuge between Kristin's legs when they chased him -- he knew the others were too fearful to get near people. Safe placement had been found for all the pigs by the time Kristin was about to fly home, but a cancelled flight seemed like destiny, and she knew that she couldn't leave sweet Alfie with anyone else. She rented a car, packed him up, and the rest was history. After a bumpy road addressing some of his medical issues, Alfie has been seizure-free and loves to live with his best friend Champ! These two boys are gentle and complete suckers for belly rubs!