Pigs

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about pigs by people who are unfamiliar with them. Pigs are intelligent - you can see it in their soulful, almost human eyes. They can also be trained! Our pig Wilbur knows and performs the command for “sit”! Pigs are very clean - they are one of the only animals to have a designated bathroom area instead of just going anywhere. And best of all, pigs are cuddly! We invite you to visit our main paddock and just sit with the pigs. After a few minutes, you will be surrounded by pigs who mosey over to snuggle next to you for a nap or want a scratch and a belly rub.

Meet our Porch and Barn pigs!

Our porch pigs live under Renee’s porch. They are most often seen burrowing in the deep hay piles under the porch or foraging in the front yard. Our barn pigs are some of our older pigs like Hamilton, who is 10 or pigs that do better away from the herd like Poppy who has a permanent limp (Poppy is listed in the Mommas and Babies section further down). Several of our pigs go back and forth between the porch and barn so we decided to combine these two categories.

  • Sponsored by Tracy & McCall Christman

    Muddy loves all things food. This enormous potbellied pig used to climb up the steep steps to Renee’s porch every morning and eat all the cat food he could find (including the ones sealed in cans). Renee finally had to have a gate built just to keep Muddy out!

  • Harriet is a sweetie pie (most of our pigs are). She was originally part of the main herd but was moved to the front as she wasn’t getting enough food. (She has an underbite so it is harder to eat as fast as the other pigs.) This is what makes her adorable though because her teeth stick out so when she looks at you, it always looks like she is smiling. Harriet and her brother Hank came to live with us after they were picked up as strays by Prince William Animal Control.

    Sponsored by Cynthia Hundley and the Blackburn family

  • Pepper and Sage (Messi) came to live with us from another pig sanctuary. We often help other sanctuaries that are at capacity. Pepper is very shy. Please help us socialize her by going slow and offering her lots of treats.

    Sponsored by Ande Carr

  • Hamilton was 6 weeks old in 2010 when he came to live with Renee. He was her first pig. Renee had also taken in a baby goat (Monty) and the two of them were best buddies. Hamilton's personality has always been grumpy. He is best described as a curmudgeon. He startles easily, but if you go slow you can convince him that you can be friends!

    Sponsored by Kathleen Rudd and Caroline Schellhas

  • Lola and her brother Kevin came to live with us after their owners lost their home. Lola is a talkative girl. She likes to squeal as she crosses the yard to let everyone know that she is here. She is always with Kevin. They love to snuggle together.

    Sponsored by Caroline & Ella Schellhas

  • Sponsored by Katie Dugan and Kyle Rash

    Eleanor is a very popular pig. Like Kevin, she is everywhere the people are because she knows if there are people, there is food. She is a big girl with a sweet temperament. She is another pig to give you a smile because she knows that smile will get her lots of treats!

  • Sponsored by Caroline & Ella Schellhas and Lexie from Healing Works Foundation

    Adele came to H&S dangerously obese and extremely food aggressive. She has since lost a significant amount of weight and has improved greatly in her social behavior with the other animals and people. She has quite a personality and is very popular among the volunteers. She lives in the barn and rarely ventures out.

  • Kevin and his sister Lola are a sweet pair. Kevin and his sister lost their place to live when their owners lost their home. Kevin was overweight when he came to live with us which caused him to have a bad back. We try to keep him at a healthy weight to minimize back pain. We also keep him on glucosamine and an anti inflammatory to keep him feeling his best. He is the sweetest pig and will be the first pig to greet you with lying on his side for a belly rub.

    Sponsored by Donna Joray, Nancy Bentrup, and Kevin Pidcock

  • Named for the character on The Big Bang Theory TV show, his brothers are Howard and Sheldon.

    Sponsored by Coleen Gerber

  • Sponsored by Cami Thomas

  • Sponsored by Caroline and Ella Schellhas

  • Named for the character on The Big Bang Theory TV show, his brothers are Sheldon and Leonard.

    Sponsored by Amy DeRose

  • Sponsored by John and Nancy Bentrup

  • The owner of Maverick and Macy was unable to care for them. Their next-door neighbor noticed they were uncared for and worked to find a new home for them. They joined us in 2024.

    Sponsored by Naureen Merchant

  • Named for the character on The Big Bang Theory TV show, his brothers are Howard and Leonard. He loves snuggles.

    Sponsored by Sarah Creekmore and Katherine Keller.

  • Sponsored by Robyn Nelson, Jessica Perez, and a generous family

  • Sponsored by Margaret and Becca Hoover

  • Sponsored by Jeff Lofgren and Amy Williams

  • Sponsored by Jennifer Andricosky

  • Sponsored by Nick Jeffers and Caroline Beares

    Wilbur was born in 2016. He was won at a greased pig contest at a state fair by an 8-year-old girl named Brayden. She named him after the famous pig in Charlotte's web. She fell in love with him and did not want him to be eaten which is how Wilbur came to live with us. His first family still visits once a year and he still remembers his beloved Brayden who saved his life. One of our largest pigs, Wilbur, like Rick and Bill, are bred for slaughter.

    Wilbur thoroughly enjoys life and is truly “Some Pig”!

  • Oliver Oreo Cookie

    Oliver is an orphaned piglet. He was abandoned at Southern States, and someone working there got him to us in December 2024.

    He is striped black and white like an Oreo cookie. :

    Available to sponsor

  • Sponsored by Jennifer and Charlotte Mistalski

    Charlotte is a big girl. She is Walter’s sister (see farther down for Walter) and loves to snuggle!

  • Messi and Pepper arrived together at Hope & Serenity from another sanctuary. They are a bonded pair. Messi is named after the famous Argentinian soccer/football player. Both Messi and Pepper are gentle. While they have adapted to life here very well, they are still unsure of people and will shy away if someone tries to pet them. But they love treats so please still feed them!

    Sponsored by Maria Blasco and Ande Carr

  • Aggie first came to the farm so overweight she could not open her eyes. The weight from the fat on her face pushed her eyes closed. We dieted her and since then, she is a healthy weight. Unfortunately she is permanently blind. Aggie came to live with us when her owner was no longer able to care for her.

    Sponsored by Jenny Peoples

What is a potbellied pig?

Potbellied Pigs, also referred to as Pot Belly Pig, Vietnamese Potbellied Pigs, Miniature Pet Pigs, and some have falsely call them Micro-mini Pigs and Tea Cup Pigs, are a smaller member of the pig family that have been on this earth for some 50 million years. Descendants of the wild boars of Europe, they migrated to South East Asia where they adapted to the geography and became smaller than their cousins.

The Pet Pigs we are familiar with today in the US were first imported from Canada about 1988 and quickly became popular as a household companion pet because of their pleasant disposition, relative small size and ability to bond with their human companions.

There is an overpopulation problem of Pot Belly Pigs in the US because of the lack of education for the public. Pot Belly Pigs should be spayed and the males castrated to prevent pregnancy and multiple litters. Female pigs go into heat monthly making it very easy for them to become pregnant. They also have large litters, often at least 4 to 10 piglets. It can also be difficult to find veterinarians to work with these pigs making it harder to have them spayed and castrated.

People find them appealing and make spontaneous purchases without proper research. Pot Belly Pigs are very intelligent and require enrichment, such as digging, foraging and companionship. House pigs can become bored and destructive without proper enrichment. They often need discipline and training because of their level of intelligence.  Many people find themselves in over their heads after acquiring them and try to locate an animal shelter or sanctuary to provide a home for them. Unfortunately most sanctuaries in the U S are at capacity which leaves a lot of these pigs to become abandoned or sent to slaughter.

Please ALWAYS do your research before getting any pet. If you still want a pet pig, spend some time here at our sanctuary with them and adopt one from one of the many pig rescues that adopt them out.

Russell

This sweet boy was found on the side of the road after jumping from a truck heading to a slaughterhouse. He will have the chance to grow, be loved and respected, and have lots of snuggles!

He has a break in his leg in the growth plate. We initially thought this would require surgery. However, the veterinarian does not want to do surgery on a growth plate. Instead, Russell required strict cage rest. In time he healed and is now going to be integrated into the herd.

  • Russell escaped from a slaughterhouse truck and came to the farm with road rash and a broken leg in August 2024.

    He will be confined to stall rest while his leg heals.

    Sponsored by Jenny Peoples, Linda Williams, and Nikki DeMello

Meet Our Paddock Pigs!

The below pigs live in the big paddock with the goats and sheep. Our Livestock Guardians, Lorelei and Trooper also live with them and are responsible for keeping them safe from predators.

  • Sponsored by Aimee Fagan

  • Sponsored by Vicki C and Sally Stratton

  • Sponsored by Paige & Nia, Cara Chaapel, and Lindsay Leitch.

    Giddy’s name suits her as she is always happy and smiling. She is one of the paddock who is always up front to greet people and hopefully eat any treats offered to her. She has two wonderful sponsors in Page & Nia who spend lots of time with her.

  • Sponsored by the Logan Family and Elizabeth Blazeck.

  • Sponsored by An Bohman

    Its hard to tell from this picture but Louie is HUGE. He and Wilbur are our largest pigs, followed closely by Rick and Bill.

  • Sponsored by Franscisco Osegueda and Jose Lizama

  • Sponsored by Caroline & Ella Schellhas

    Rick and Bill (above) were rescued together. Their breed is raised for slaughter but Rick and Bill will be able to live out their lives at H&S.

  • Sponsored by Charlotte Bogue

  • Sponsored by Kathleen Cook

  • Sponsored by Elizabeth Hill

  • Sponsored by Caroline & Ella Schellhas

    Bill and Rick (pictured farther down) were rescued together from being sent to slaughter. They are already larger than most of the pigs on the farm and are still growing!

  • Sponsored by Stephanie Johnson and Kathy Rubis

  • Sponsored by Bobbi & Dave Pasternak

  • Sponsored by Steven Lauver

  • Sponsored Jennifer Blevins

  • Susie and Lucy came to us in October 2024. Their previous owner reached out to us they are no longer able to provide care for the pigs.

    They are as big as Wilbur.

    They are adjusting well to their new life and enjoy snuggles.

    Sponsored by Linda Williams

  • Lucy and Susie came to us from in October 2024. Their previous owner reached out to us they are no longer able to provide care for the pigs.

    They are as big as Wilbur.

    They are adjusting well to their new life and enjoy snuggles.

    Sponsored by Linda Williams

Mommas and Their Babies

The “Mommas & Their Babies” category highlights the sows (female pigs) who have given birth at the farm from 2020 through 2023. Please note: None of our “babies” are actual babies anymore in the physical sense; a pig can grow to its full size within 5 1/2 months from birth. Only Ray and Chipper are still tiny and they will most likely stay that way.

An average litter size for pigs is 7.5 but it is not uncommon for a sow to have 12-14 pigs per litter. As you will see below, the number of babies in a litter definitely varies. Even once the babies are fully grown, the families tend to stick together within the larger herd. They can often be seen sleeping or playing together.

Joy’s Family

Joy’s family is the only pig family at Hope & Serenity where the father, Kenny, remains a part of the unit. This is probably because he is also Joy’s son -yes, there was a little bit of inbreeding there! Joy gave birth to Ray and Chipper in September of 2022.

  • Sponsored by Paula & Amy Voith

    Joy was a surprise rescue. Her humans lost their home and made the tough decision to rehome her with us. She arrived at the farm the last week of September 2022 and the very next day gave birth to a litter of seven piglets. Sadly, only two of the seven have survived.

  • Kenny is the piglets’ daddy. He arrived on the farm a few weeks after Joy and since that day, the family is always together. They were all living in the barn while Ray and Chipper were super small but now that the piglets can venture out, the family spends most of their time under the porch snuggling together.

    Sponsored by Nikki & John DeMello

  • Sponsored by Amy & Abel Scherer

    Chipper is even tinier than his brother. The two boys tend to roam all over the front yard by day, looking for food. They will allow people to touch them, but are not super used to it yet.

  • Sponsored by Terri Lambert

    Ray and Chipper were the only males in the initial seven piglet litter and the only two to survive. It doesn’t appear that either of them will get any bigger so they will remain this cute forever!

Allison’s Family

Allison gave birth to Leo, Jane, Bindi, and Pink. Archer is Allison's brother AND the piglets’ father.

  • Sponsored by Rachel Thomson and Erin Jansen

  • Sponsored by Russ and CJ Bouffard

  • Sponsored by Amy Garst

  • Pink was born here in 2021.

    She is available to sponsor

  • Sponsored by Katie Dugan and Amy Robinson

Evelyn and Paulina’s Family

Paulina and Evelyn gave birth at the same time as Jane, Allison and Bindi but were boarded in a different barn stall than the first three. There were over 36 babies born between the five mommas! All the babies were nursed and raised as a herd with two mommas. We refer to this litter as “The Presidents” as all but two are named for American presidents.

  • Sponsored by Anya Gladun

  • Sponsored by Bob Schellhas

  • Sponsored by the Turkel Family

  • Kennedy is sponsored by Karen McGirk

  • Sponsored by the Kohne Family

  • Ruby is sponsored by Jeri Ann Martin

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The Oops! Litter

Evelyn, Paulina, Kennedy, Allison and Bindi were impregnated by one of the young male piglets who wasn’t neutered soon enough. Their piglets were born December 2021 and most of them are named for Marvel Universe characters.

  • Sponsored by Jen Savory

    Paul is one of the friendliest pigs at H&S. If you hang out in the paddock long enough, he will find you and snuggle with you for as long as you want.

  • Sponsored by Kelly Ballard

  • Sponsored by Jennifer Littau and Beckett Thistle

  • Sponsored by Nina Nic

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  • Sponsored by Jennifer Cox and Susan Lehman.

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  • Sponsored by Savannah Trocan

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  • Sponsored by Gwen Pirisino

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  • Sponsored by Paula Voith

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  • Sponsored by the North Family

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  • Sponsored by Hapreet Dhnaoya

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  • Sponsored by Serena Stepanovic

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  • Sponsored by Debra Fisk

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  • Cappie is sponsored by Dawn Smith

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  • Available to sponsor

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  • Sponsored by WolfPack

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  • Sponsored by Lorena Van Buskirk

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  • Sponsored by Rylee

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Poppy’s Family

In 2021, Poppy gave birth to nine babies who are now grown and live in the paddock. Because of Poppy’s disability, it is safer for her to live in the barn, but her babies often come back to her throughout the day and night for some momma love. She has recently migrated to spending her days in Renee’s front yard with the porch pigs. Since Poppy is the name of a flower, all of Poppy’s babies have been named after a flower (or a plant in Thistle’s case).

  • Sponsored by Liz Fee

    Poppy was found and rescued from a horse farm where she and several other animals had been abandoned. She arrived pregnant and with shoulder injury which we believe she received from being kicked by a horse. Unfortunately, her shoulder will never fully heal and now has a permanent limp.

  • Sponsored by Sharon Warner

  • Sponsored by Matthew Ciparis

  • Sponsored by Riley O’Casey & Kim Fleming

    As the runt of the litter, Lily is the most comfortable around people as she was held constantly as a baby.

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  • Sponsored by Max Giannelli & Family

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  • Thistle had a tough start and had some skin issues as a baby.  But we healed him and he's doing well. 

    Sponsored by Katherine Keller

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  • Sponsored by Carolyn Perez

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  • Sponsored by Karie Change

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  • Sponsored by Katherine Keller 

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  • Sponsored by Lilly Greeves

Mabel’s Family

Mabel gave birth to 10 piglets: females Clover, Coral, Onyx, Pebbles, Sunflower, Willow, Strawberry, Oakley, and Gemma and male Rainbow.

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  • Oakley is one of Mabel's female piglets.

    Onys is available to sponsor.

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  • Sponsored by Linda Coleman

  • Sponsored by Linda Coleman

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  • Coral and Gemma are available to sponsor.

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  • Sponsored by Verity Gerni

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  • available to sponsor

  • Sponsored by Geoff Horsfield

    Clover is one of our sweetest piggies. She loves to be petted and will plop for anyone. Plopping is when a pig rolls over so you can rub their belly. It is so cute

Farmer’s Market Family

Nine female pigs and their piglets

In 2024 we rescued 9 female pigs from a farmer’s market in Reston where they were an attraction. One had already given birth, while the rest were pregnant (or presumed pregnant). Most male piglets were named for human rights activists and female piglets will be named for gymnasts. By August, all of the babies were been delivered and Alice and Dorothy were not pregnant.

Claire and her piglets are named for characters in the TV show Modern Family: Cam, Manny, Hailey, and Alex.

Maya delivered 3 piglets, but they were not healthy. Female piglet Emily lived long enough to enjoy cuddles with volunteers and with her cousins.

Amelia looks like Claire’s twin. She is named for Amelia Earhart. She gave birth to girls Gabby and Aly and boys Joseph, John, and Marshall.

Phyllis is shy but getting better as she adjusts to her new home. She gave birth to girl Angela and boys Michael Scott, Dwight, and Stanley. The piglets are named for characters on the TV show ‘The Office’.

Alice is shy but getting better as she adjusts -she was not pregnant

Dorothy is shy but getting better as she adjusts to her new home - she was not pregnant.

Grumpy moms Nellie, Marie, and Hattie were placed in one stall and had their piglets at the same time so we don’t know which babies go with which mom. Nellie is named for Nellie Bly, Marie is named for Marie Curie, Hattie is named for Hattie McDaniel. Male piglets that were named for activists are: Nelson, Web, Ernest, Cesar, Frederick, and Rudy. Female piglets that were named for gymnasts are: Simone, Nadia, Mary Lou, Jade, Olga, and Tatiana.

  • Claire is the first mother pig we rescued from the Reston Farmer’s Market in 2024. She is the mother of Cam, Manny, Gloria and Hailey.

    Sponsored by Karin Smith and Tracey Klaus

  • Claire’s piglets came to the sanctuary in April 2024.

    Alex is a black male with an adorable white streak on his forehead.

    Alex sponsored by Gigi Glessner

    Hailey is a pink and black spotted female. She loves belly rubs and chin scratches.

    Hailey sponsored by Ashley Day, Alyssa Hacker, Dawn Smith, Taylor Carson, Sierra Stanley, Connie Thomson, and Taylor Carson.

    Cam is a brown male.

    Cam sponsored by Connie Thomson, Cami, and Laila Pereia

    Manny is a black and white male.

    Manny sponsored by Amanda Budd

  • Maya is the second momma pig we rescued from a farmer’s market in Reston.

    Maya had a tough labor, delivering two piglets but requiring human intervention to deliver the third. Two of the them did not survive the first day. Emily lived long enough to enjoy cuddles with our volunteers and her cousins.

    Sponsored by the Mario Reyes family, Christine Baker and John Almerigotti, and Karin Smith

  • Amelia has adjusted well and is very sweet. She loves nose bumps. She has 5 piglets.

    Sponsored by Amy Garst

  • Amelia’s 5 piglets born May 20, 2024.

    Girls Gabby (pink piglet), Aly and Shannon (black piglets) named for gymnasts.

    Boys Joseph (pink piglet) and Marshall (black piglet) named for human rights activists Chief Joseph and Thurgood Marshall.

    Aly is sponsored by Haley Harger.

    Gabby is sponsored by Brenda Combs and Amanda Kennedy.

    Joseph is sponsored by Madi and Benjamin.

    Shannon is sponsored by Kathleen Rudd.

    Marshall is sponsored by the Small family.

  • Phyllis is shy but getting better as she adjusts to her new home.

    Sponsored by Karin Smith

  • Hattie is named for pioneering African American actress Hattie McDaniel.

    Hattie is slowly adjusting to her new life.

    One of the grumpy moms.

    Sponsored in honor of Congressman Gerry Connelly

  • Alice is shy and slowing adjusting to her new life.

    Sponsored by Angela Gnodle

  • Dorothy is shy but adjusting to her new home.

    Sponsored by Andrea Gold

  • Marie is named for Marie Curie.

    One of the grumpy moms.

    Sponsored by Karen McDonald

  • Female grumpy moms' piglets are named for gymnasts.

    Simone sponsored by Jennifer & Charlotte Mistalski

    Jade sponsored by Neda Saghafi

    Nadia sponsored by Neda Saghafi

    Mary Lou sponsored by the Contois Family

    Olga sponsored by Sara Fernandez

    Tatiana sponsored by Amelia Johnson

  • Male piglets named for activists.'

    Nelson (Mandela) sponsored by Scott Warner.

    Web (DuBois) sponsored by Addison Wade

    Ernest (Green) sponsored by Neda Saghafi

    Frederick (Douglass) sponsored by Erika Deem

    Cesar (Chavez) sponsored by Doug Barton

    Rudy (Rochman) sponsored by Alicia Holland

    Martin (Luther King) sponsored by Sarah Dane

  • Nellie, named for journalist Nellie Bly.

    Sponsored by Abigail Richter.

  • Poe and Hem were born in 2024 and are cousins of the other piglets born this year.

    Poe is named for author Edgar Allan Poe.

    Hem is named for author Ernest Hemingway.

    Poe sponsored by the Cosgriff family, Tarah Keleey, and Chanelle Black

    Hem sponsored by the Cosgriff family and Barb Mott

  • Phyllis gave birth to girl Angela and boys Michael Scott, Dwight, and Stanley in late July 2024.

    Angela sponsored by Kristen Kolumbic

    Michael Scott available to sponsor

    Dwight sponsored by Melissa Liban and Gretchen Opper

    Stanley sponsored by Jennifer Littau