The walk into the piggery that cold winter night was like a trip to a house of horrors. A fox could be seen scampering off into the shadows as the Animal Liberation Victoria rescue team approached the huge, dark mountain ahead of them. When they reached the dead pile a respectful silence fell over the group. The sight of mothers and babies dumped in a heap like garbage was a tragic reminder of one of the many hidden consequences of animal agriculture. A moment was taken to document the atrocity and silent promises were made to those whose lives meant less than the bottom line. But the dead are dead, their cries have been silenced, with heavy hearts the group moved on towards the cries of the living.
The dead pile, where the pigs that don’t survive the RSPCA Approved Eco Shelters are left to rot
The living that night whose chance of escape had come were two baby boys, Little Noah and Neo, the luckiest little piglets you will ever meet.
The rescue team found Neo in the piggery “sick bay” with the tell-tale spray painted markings that indicated he would soon be killed. His spine was grossly deformed, twisting his head on an almost 45 degree angle, forcing him to look at the world sideways. Little Noah was in one of the Eco Shelters, dwarfed by his fellow inmates he was being knocked to the ground and trampled continuously. His spine was also severely deformed and he struggled to breath. A day away from being no more than waste on a dead pile, both piglets were scooped up into loving arms and their journey to freedom began. Their second chance had arrived.
The sick bay from which Neo was rescued
As the rescuers headed down the driveway for the rendezvous point, unexpected headlights lit up the cold darkness and a car sped towards them. A mad dash to escape was made through a fence and across a paddock. In the panic the piglets started to squeal. More headlights could be seen and male voices could be heard across the night air, demanding the rescuers return the pigs. The rescuers put their heads down and carried on, knowing that the piglets lives were literally in their hands.
An urgent phone call soon told the rescuers that their ride was gone. The driver had been arrested while traveling on a public road and was being questioned by police. Marooned in the middle of a vast expanse of night with two vulnerable lives the situation was bleak. It was not long before the lights of police cars filled the night sky. Fortunately the piglets stopped squealing and the rescuers made the decision to lay down in the long grass and wait it out. A flurry of search lights and voices surrounded them, their breath caught each time the lights swept the grass around them. Whether you believe in miracles or not, what happened that night was nothing short of miraculous. Hidden in the long, wet grass, bathed in moonlight, the piglets fell asleep in the arms of their rescuers, their location remaining a secret, their lives saved.
After three long hours when the lights and voices had finally disappeared the piglets’ third chance appeared. Exhausted and sodden the party made a final dash to the warm rescue vehicle that arrived with the breaking of dawn. Tears fell as they moved off towards the sunrise, as luck would have it, the sunrise that would mark Little Noah and Neo’s first day of freedom.
Little Noah, several months after being rescued, exploring his new sanctuary home.
Noah and Neo meeting new friends at ALV headquarters
Noah and Neo, loving life with two of their rescuers
Im glad little noah and neo got away! Made me cry with happiness!! wish all the pigs could be saved though
well done animal lib vic. my eyes are full of tears as i read your story, yes i beleive it and happy two will survive and hopefully oneday the world will be place for all earlthings to live in peace.
Such bravery and courage. Heroes you are.
Thank you ALV wish I could join you Would do anything to save an animal from the cruelty of bastards
Tears of joy for these 2 lucky boys and a big heart felt thanks to all the ALV Rescue team and supporters.
I am a long time vegan, over more than half my life, for ethical reasons. I just don’t honestly understand how someone, once they fully appreciate how fellow animals are sentient and highly intelligent and all the rest, can continue to eat meat but….the highly emotive language in this account will not help. Tell it factually, coldly and without emotion and it might actually resonate with those whose hearts are made of the same stuff. It made ME cry…but to those whose hearts are that much harder to penetrate, this account will have them yelling “bleeding heart hippies” all the way to the butcher.
Sorry, Rachel, but the people you describe can be touched by NOTHING until they are open to change. They live in a perpetual state of blindness and denial that cannot be penetrated until they make the decision to listen. This story is a factual story, but the facts are simply that animal-rights sympathizers broke into a factory farm and stole two piglets. It is the REASONS they stole the piglets that make the story worthwhile, and those reasons involve an entire world view, and our world view is based on what we know. But what gives importance to what we know, what makes us work tirelessly for what we know, is what we FEEL.
Just because something is legal does not make it right; just because something is illegal does not make it wrong. Thank you for your courage.
You guys are incredible beyond words. What a touching account of what would have been a truly terrifying experience. Thank you so much for all that you sacrifice for the animals!! <3
My heart is heavy for the ones who didn’t make it and light and happy for the ones you saved. Godspeed on all your journeys. Y’all did a wonderful thing! :@)
Where was this? Can they be adopted?
Thank you for all you do !
an unthinkable horror it is, hope the responsible will pay for this cruelty to this poor piglets. An amazing rescue you have done and I am so happy for those who could be saved.
Small steps. After sharing a number of animal rights stories, some female friends cried -enough!
Yes they want fb to be all warm and fuzzy- family stuff. I said “but that’s not just what it can be used for”. But I understood- they wanted a solution. They know that the animal slaughter industry is ugly. They want solutions.
Going vegan isn’t always the only answer. For an individual, perhaps. But changing an entire family at once? Not realistic. Small steps.
For those who want to limit meat consumption, to purchase meat from truly ethical and respectful farms and ranches- steps in the right direction. Remove the gluttony to support higher priced, suppliers. Not perfect but going in the right direction.
So – do such references exist?
Such an inspiring story amazing work!
thankyou for bringing this story and making us aware