Star’s Piggly Wiggly’s Sanctuary is home to 42 pigs, the most pigs the Summerland, B.C., oasis has ever housed.
The sanctuary has been providing refuge for unwanted and abandoned pigs for 11 years and has been in its permanent home in Summerland for two years now and they are still settling in. Infrastructure is still being built and upgraded to house the existing hooved tenants. More pens are also being created to house more pigs in the future.
“We also have a new shed for one of my sick pigs [called Boo]. He has really bad arthritis. He’s actually my first real rescue that I had. I got him 11 years ago on 29 May,” said founder of the Okanagan sanctuary.
“We just have to finish the flooring in there and make him a ramp and then he can go in there. But, we are going to start redoing all the houses as well. We’re going to make them look like little mini horse shelters.”
One of the newest members of the Piggly Wiggly Family is Jelly Bean who’s been here for a month and a half.
“This is what can happen when you take the time and give these animals a chance at a real life,” said volunteer Ann Jakobsen.
“She was very shy when she got here, she would not come out of her house, she would not look at anybody or anything. [Now] She’ll actually lay down for a little scratches.”
To help fund the upgrades to care for Jelly Bean and the other hooved tenants, the sanctuary is opening its doors to the public for its annual open house and bottle drive this weekend. Visitors can meet the animals as well as enter the Mother’s Day draws, take part in a silent auction and the first 50 adults and kids through the door each day win a door prize.
There is also a new way to help support the sanctuary: you can sponsor a pen for $500 and in return, Affleck will have your name or business name put on a sign and have it hung on the pen of your choosing.
“It costs almost $1,300 a month just to feed them and that’s not including the straw that we get for winter, the hay that we get, snacks,” said Affleck.
“We use a lot of water as well as vet bills because the vet bills are the biggest thing.”
Admission is by donation on both May 11 and May 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 16808 Garnet Valley Rd., Summerland, B.C.