Rita, a pregnant pig, was on a truck bound for a slaughterhouse when she jumped overboard. Now, the brave mama is enjoying life with her babies at her new forever home.
The escape artist spent the majority of her life in hellish conditions at a factory farm — where mama pigs are kept confined to tiny crates where they barely have enough space to move — before workers loaded her into the truck and sent her to face her death.
Determined to survive, Rita pried open the truck’s metal gate and took a “leap of faith” from the moving vehicle onto the grass alongside Highway 50 near Sacramento, Calif., according to witnesses. Animal control officers took her to a local animal shelter where she soon gave birth to 14 piglets, five of whom unfortunately did not survive.
When nobody claimed Rita and her nine surviving piglets, the Animal Place sanctuary in Grass Valley rescued them.
“It was our turn to take a leap of faith,” the sanctuary wrote on its website. “We had already taken in several other animals and had limited space, but we knew we needed to help this pig (now named Rita) and her babies.”
It took several days for the Rita to feel comfortable letting humans near her little ones, but she gradually warmed up to caretakers, and her piglets are thriving, the sanctuary said.
Rita and her piglets are living the happy lives that all farmed animals deserve, free from the gruesome conditions on factory farms and lives cut tragically short.
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Ive been a subscriber to LFT for about 2 years now but proud to say I became a Vegan on 1 Feb 2021. Thanks for the information, keep it coming.
Hooray, Nicole! The planet, the animals & your body thank you for this important, compassionate decision!
Thank you for a caring heart!!
She used her natural instinct & the natural Intelligence to jump out of the truck before it reached the slaughter house. (It was proven that the Pigs are very intelligent) Obviously this Mama knew she need to escape with her babies about to be born. I am so happy to see this poor animal is finally free from the hellish conditions she lived & also from the untimely painful murder she was to face in the hands of evil humans.
THANKS TO THE PEOPLE WHO SAVED THIS PIGGIES LIFE.
It is so very very nice to see the whole family of Her Pig and her piglets. They R so cute and loveable its hard to take my
eyes off of them. This is where they all should be. In a safe place where Mom & babies can be together. That’s the way
God meant it to be. Thanks for sharing.
SO HAPPY FOR THIS MAMA PIG AND HER BABIES!!
I am so happy for this Mama Pig !! Wonderful news
I am behind Rita making a break for it. Bravo Rita.
I dont eat piggies. i am very glad they escaped. I think i heard our largest supplier of pork here in the U.S is china owned. I especially wouldnt believe them to have any humane standards.
What wonderful news about this precious family!! Thank you, Animal Place for being their home!
PLEASE PEOPLE, DON’T EAT ANIMALS.
They were going to butcher her pregnant? Ha, why I’m I surprised, When I saw how mama pigs were treated in those hellish factory farms years ago, me and my husband decided to stop eating pork that very same day. Now, all meat and dairy are off the table. For us it was an easy choice, compassion over cruelty.
I heard people say I can’t stop eating meat, its just too good….maybe one day. If only they knew how it feels to own a good soul and a clear conscience. Live long and well Rita, you are a brave and beautiful mama. Thank you to all for rescuing this lovely lady and her babies.
Bravo Rita making a break for it.
Helene, so glad to hear that you & your husband made such an important decision…compassion begins at the dinner table.