Julia and her piglets! Julia was super abused before she was rescued by Farm Sanctuary, at which point she gave birth to a boatload of adorable piglets!
The pig’s sentience—its status as a non-object capable of suffering—morally trumps my desire to eat a BLT, no matter how much pleasure it gives. No life is worth a sandwich I don’t need.
-James McWilliams for the Atlantic
The mere mention of bacon makes most meat-eaters giggle with glee. It’s basically the pinnacle of American gluttony, decadence, and indifference. It’s not just a food, bacon has become a punchline, yucking it up on Tshirts and memes across the country. Meanwhile, pigs, who are not only smarter than your dog but also emotionally complex, are suffering relentless anguish.
According to the National Pork Producers Council, the numbers are reproachful:
Today there are more than 67,000 pork operations compared with nearly 3 million in the 1950s. Farms have grown in size; 53 percent of them now produce 5,000 or more pigs per year. Nearly 21 billion pounds of pork were processed from about 110 million hogs in 2011. A total of 2.3 million metric tons of pork valued at more than $6.3 billion was exported in 2012.
If I can translate that for you: a hundred million pigs are killed a year, and the factory farm industry is booming. That means gestation crates, pollution, disease, and cruelty.
I know people like the taste of bacon. That’s not a justification for the suffering it causes. Maybe human babies taste great, that’s not a good reason to eat human babies. The “but it tastes good” argument is nothing short of vapid and shallow. You’re choosing sensory pleasure over morals. When is that ever the right way to make decisions?
In conclusion, here are 5 adorable piglets who were rescued from certain death and suffering. These are living beings who deserve more than being someones lunch. Take it away, cutie pies!
1. Leon Trotsky
Kicking us off is Leon Trotsky from Edgar’s Mission! Leon was injured at a farm and therefore “useless.” Thankfully, a kind person got Leon to the safety of Edgar’s Mission where he was fitted for his very own training wheels.
2. Edgar
This is Edgar! He’s one of those fell-off-the-truck rescue stories. Now he lives at Snooters Farm Sanctuary!
3. Marigold
Here we have Marigold from Animal Place! She’s playing in the straw like a total goofball! Her exact history is unknown, she was found roaming the streets in Sacramento, but they guess she was probably purchased from an auction for backyard slaughter. Not dice!
4. Stanley
Hello, Stanley! Stanley is all growed up now but this is him getting some belly rubs as a baby. He’s another escapee found running up and down a busy road. Now he lives happily at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary!
5. Eric
And of course, we close out with wee Eric from Farm Sanctuary! Eric was left to suffer with a leg injury because the medical attention he needed would cost more than the farmer thought he was worth. We think Eric is worth a gagillion dollars and all piglets are worthy of a happy life without pain!
All of these piglets were intended to be meat on someone’s plate, but thanks to random events, they escaped their grim fate. But most pigs—billions of them—are not so lucky. The overwhelming majority of pigs are still suffering in deplorable conditions. What can you do? Click on any of the shelter links above and donate in the name of your favorite piglet. More ideas? Visit Mercy For Animals. But the best and easiest thing you can do is GO VEG.
Share this list with your friends and spread the message: animals matter!