People fall in love with cute, little potbellied pig babies, but they often don’t realize they may weigh up to 200 pounds at maturity. Overwhelmed and unprepared, Danielle Betterman, director of Better Piggies Rescue, says many pig owners simply abandon their no longer teacup-sized pets.
“On average, we receive 15-20 surrender requests every week, and another 6-8 rescue calls every month for pigs that have been dumped by their owners,” she explains.
It’s this overwhelming need that drove Danielle to launch the Arizona non-profit. “Piggies are my passion,” she says. “They are beautiful, smart and understanding creatures that deserve love and respect.” The dedicated volunteers who help care for the rescue’s potbellied residents share her appreciation.
Take Cam, a retired veterinary technician and devoted potbellied pig owner. “Seeing the pigs that come in that were abused or neglected, then being able to help rehabilitate them has been one of the joys of my life,” she says. Without question, pigs like Hope, Ally and Gandalf, who were all found abandoned on the streets, are equally grateful.
“These animals don’t have a voice,” Cam adds, “but at Better Piggies, every pig is treated like family and loved unconditionally.”
