Who would have thought that Vietnamese pigs raised in the countryside could be abandoned on the side of a road and escape death, growing up serene and happy in a shelter? It sounds like a fairy tale, but it really happened in San Diego, California.
In October 2022 an unusual event occurred on the Mesa Grande Rd. About 150 Vietnamese pigs roamed the asphalt unattended. The case attracted media attention, causing great concern both for the vehicles in transit and for the fate of the animals.
Many didn’t make it. However, various associations intervened to make the survivors safe and prevent them from coming to a bad end. Of the rescued animals, three were entrusted to the sanctuary’s care Little Bitty Animal Shelter, run by Ryan Valverde and his wife.
The shelter, which offers shelter to animals in difficulty, welcomed a small family. Two years later their life has changed radically and today mother Wendi and her then puppies Mesa and Grande live their days to the fullest.
How it started – to how it’s going – scroll down to see the highlight photos of one of the most memorable rescue stories…
Posted by Little Bitty Animal Sanctuary on Friday, October 4, 2024
They relax in the sun, roll in the mud, munch on fresh food without having to worry about what will happen tomorrow. They are safe, this is their home and no one will abandon them or separate them again.
Although exactly two years have passed since their rescue, the police would never have traced back their previous owner or understood the reason for their abandonment. Ryan Valverde has also been quite skeptical ever since.
Valverde would certainly have preferred to receive a call for help from the person who held so many pigs rather than find himself faced with a fait accompli and choose who to save.
Thanks to the intervention of her shelter, Wendi, Mesa and Grande’s family are here at tell his story, to inspire kindness and to raise awareness among others about the care of animals, without distinction between domestic animals and other species.
