Highway's StoryA family set out for a fun road trip heading out of Sioux City on Highway 20 to the tiny town north of Humboldt. "As we were just past the Early turn off, a semi came barreling past. Suddenly, we saw something tumble across the road. At first we dismissed it as a plastic bag that the semi driver had disposed out of his window. That is, until my friend shouted out, "Oh my god! That's not a bag! It's alive!" To which I replied, "It's a piglet!!" The piglet was lying just off the center line in the way of rapidly oncoming traffic. So, I quickly turned my car across the road to block it and jumped out to grab her. She was hurt badly and covered in blood. I was scared to touch her for fear of hurting her more. I ran across to the side of the road and laid her in the grass. My friend move my car as a woman that worked for the utility locating service stopped to help. Then, a student from Briar Cliff College stopped to make sure we were okay. The student gave us a blanket to wrap her in. The utility worker stayed with us and called the county sheriff for assistance. She blocked off the lane of traffic to protect us while we waited over an hour with no sight of a deputy. Finally, I decided she needed veterinary care and we could no longer wait. We made a crib in the back of my SUV with grass clippings and a solar blanket. We had washed her wounds and attempted to make her drink a little water. She seemed to be calming down, so we loaded her up and drove to the nearest town. We stopped to ask if there was a veterinarian near by. Nobody could tell us anything. We stopped at nearly every town getting crazy looks and crude answers to our problem. Nobody could understand why we cared about this pig. When we arrived in Fort Dodge, a glimmer of hope. Someone told us there was a vet at the farm supply store, on the highway on the way out of town. We stopped, only to find the vet was not available that day. One of the employees told us about a vet outside Humboldt that treated large animals. So, we called ahead and told them our situation. They said they could help us, so we got our rescued piglet there as fast as possible. We desperately needed vet care for this piglet,as well as our other problem... As much as I wanted to keep and raise the piglet, I couldn't. I live inside the city limits and was legally restricted from keeping "livestock". This pig needed a home to get better in. When we arrived, the team was waiting and ready for us. The doctor was incredibly fast and thorough with his treatment of her wounds and injuries. Then they told us that a local rescue agreed to take her in and keep her. I was elated as much as I was heartbroken...I never wanted to say goodbye. However, she has a good family and friends to care for her and I couldn't be happier for her." -Highway's Angel |
We Love her, She is Family :)
Highway spent some recovery days in the boarding kennel, The floors were too slick for her, so we made her a "Pig House" outdoors.
Now Highway is free to roam the farm
(No, we will NOT be eating her)
Its been a year with Highway
Goodness how she has Grown!! Highway has become the local celebrity, She has been is the newspaper a few times, 2 magazines and even channel 8 news!! She is still free to roam the farm, she loves her horse, cat and dog friends she still LOVES beggin strips... I know Iknow..... PLEASE note there could be worse things then this Piggy eating fake bacon :) She really is family, I love her so much and she is so smart. I worry about her size, being told that "pet" pigs don't live very long usually due to over eating so I **try** to keep her on a diet... This doesn't sit well with her routine is that when i get out to do chores 7/8 am she gets her breakfast...noonish lunch...5pm supper...OH-NO shes pretty sure 3/5 snacks should be included if not given she has broke the back door open to let herself in where the food is stored and helped herself OR she loves it when I have grooming customer because she will wait until they come inside and then she will block the door and wont let them out until i feed her. Now that its getting colder she seems to snuggle up with her blankies in her Pig house. If the sun is out shes usually buy my front window relaxing. |