**november 2005 newsletter · november 1, 2005 dear supporter, these have been excruciatingly...

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ISSUEISSUENO. 14NO. 14

IRONWOOD

PIG SANCTUARY

NOVEMBERNOVEMBER20052005

BlackjackBlackjack

IRONWOODOPEN HOUSE

Ironwood Pig Sanctuary34656 E. Crystal Visions Road

Marana, AZ 85653November 1, 2005

Dear Supporter,

These have been excruciatingly difficult times for people and animals in ourcountry. Never in our history has there been such a heroic effort to rescueso many animals in dire conditions as in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Iam sure many of you have been personally involved or watching in horror fromthe sidelines, as we have. Our thanks to all who have helped in unbearableconditions, and our condolences to all who have lost their dear friends inthis disaster.

There were pigs rescued, and thanks to organizations and individuals fromnearby states, we did not have to make the hard decision about who we wouldnot take in locally to make room for hurricane pigs.

All Arizona summers are difficult, but this has been the hottest I have everexperienced and even through the month of September we experienced temperaturesas much as 10 degrees above normal. We have been so very grateful to have ourwell, and our tanks full of water, especially since there have been threebrush fires this summer in our area. Supporters from around the countrycalled to see how we were surviving when they heard of our extreme heat. I amhappy to report we all did survive and are looking forward to the fall andwinter coolness.

Our work remains monumental. Although we did not have the task of takingover the animals from another sanctuary, as we have for the past two summers,we are supplying food for about sixty pigs at another sanctuary and this alonehas added a tremendous burden to our load. Many calls continue to come in forpig releases, and we are forced to do a triage. Those in immediate danger orat risk come first, while those who are unwanted, but still have a home, mustwait. Read about many of our recent rescues in this issue.

Please help our pigs by buying raffle tickets to win one of our great prizesand help all pigs in Arizona by contacting Arizonansfor Humane Farms. Have a happy, healthy Holiday Seasonand we will see you next year. We are here because ofyou.

Sincerely,

Mary Schanz

PS: Chandler, pictured here with me, was rescued fromthe University Medical Center. He was a medicalresearch pig who never saw the light of day or rootedin the dirt the first year of his life. He is nowliving out his life enjoying the sun, the wallows, andhis pig friends with us at Ironwood’s Annex.

IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARY Issue 14

Issue 14 IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARY

www.ironwoodpigsanctuary.org [email protected]

t Ironwood we receivepigs in all sizes andshapes, but two recent

arrivals were such a great contrastI just had to tell you about themand how they managed to come toIronwood.

Gene Simmons, named after theRock Star, came to us fromAnimal Care and Control (ACC)in Phoenix. Gene’s owner haddied from her injuries in anautomobile accident and this dear

little pig was in the car with her.He was amazingly not injured.He was wearing a tag with hisname and NV address andinscribed on the tag was “Loved ALot.” He is such a loving littleboy full of himself and life andhas now gone to a wonderfulhome north of Phoenix.

By contrast Dynamite is one bigboy. He has big tusks and is sohairy he looks like a buffalo. Ona Wednesday we received a callfrom a woman who had movedfrom her property the Mondaybefore and was looking for a vet

to euthanize her seven-year-oldboar that she had since he was ababy because she could not find ahome for him. My husband askedwhat she would do if a home orvet could not be found and shesaid she would hire someone tocome and shoot him. I guess thatwas her ticket for us to say wewould take him. We picked himup the next day on the return froma trip to deliver three boarded pigsback to their happy owners. Things were complicated by thefact that he was running loose onfive acres and his owner canceledher appointment to meet us therebecause she had other things todo. Lucky for us, Roi, Sally andDelta’s parents offered to comehelp us once their piggies weresafely back home.

It was nearing dark when wearrived at the property, which wasmore like an estate, than a home.The four of us had a realchallenge to corner him in orderto get this very large boar withthese long tusks into the crate we

had brought for him. But withluck and determination we hadhim loaded before dark and wereheading for Ironwood, thanks tothe help from Joe and Kathryn!He was so stressed hehyperventilated all the way home.

The next day Jen, one of ouremployees, said he waswhimpering. She sat with him toreassure him he was in a safeplace now and would never be

threatened again. Asshe talked softly tohim he settled downfor the first time.

Gene and Dynamite’slives will never be thesame, but because ofyou and us workingtogether they will bothbe safe and have aloving home.

---Mary

Gene Simmons and DynamiteA

Gene Simmons withGary at his new home

Dynamite

Gene Simmons

Snickers is a beautiful little pig thatcame into our lives for the secondtime this August. This past spring wereceived a call from his owner and

she said she was moving and had two boars she could not take withher. We offered to move her pigs and build her a pen at her newhome if she could keep them. One of her boars go out of her yardand was never seen again. Snickers was still with her and she wasbeing evicted and moving the next day. She had gotten him fouryears ago when he was a baby from someone who had won him in aRaffle!!! He has been recently neutered and is waiting to go to a newhome or to be released to one of our fields if he is not adopted. Heis very shy but also very sweet. Snickers is probably wonderingwhat happened to his good friend and glad he did not go with himwhen he escaped.



Meet Our Pigs

Little Debbyis a very friendly

little girl who wasfound wanderingaround near ThreePoints after thefirst summerstorm. Some kindpeople picked herup because a loosePit Bull nearly attacked her. They could not keep herwith them since they also had dogs that would not benice to her and they passed her on to friends whocould keep her temporarily. They tried to locate herfamily by putting signs around and in stores, but herfamily could not be located so she found a home atIronwood. She loves to have her belly rubbed and isa mild mannered little pig.

Sandy wasbrought to theHumane Society,along with anumber of otheranimals, when herowner was founddead. The HumaneSociety releasedher to us once itwas agreed by the

family that they did not want her. Sandy was veryfrightened at first but now she really likes to get pettedand loves to be out of her pen roaming around theproperty. She was going to go home to live with Sushibut Adam went instead since Sandy can be a bitaggressive with new pigs. She would really like ahome to go to with a lot of space to roam around in.

COVERBlackjack was stuck in a truck. He was rescued by some people when we werevolunteers for Lynnette, the previous owner of the Annex, and was left in the truckfor two days until Lynnette went to rescue him. The people were afraid of him anddid not know how to handle him. We brought him to Ironwood along with six otherspecial pigs shortly after we opened. They were all timid and had grown thin becausethey could not compete with the herd for food. We built a special field for the seventhin pigs and they all still live together in the West Field along with six pigs rescuedfrom Florida and 12 from an Apache Junction sanctuary. Blackjack is still very timidand to this day has to eat outside the field so he can be assured of enough food.



IRONWOOD RAFFLE!!FIRST PRIZE: Win a week’s use ofa vacation condo in an exotic resort of yourchoice around the world! You pick the resortand week (subject to availability). One or twobedrooms with full kitchen available. Theprize does not include transportation, food orother expenses. Resorts are limited to thosecovered by RCI and are subject to availabledates. $1750 Value.

SECOND PRIZE: Win the use of up to a4-bedroom furnished cabin for a weekend of yourchoice, including a boat and motor, at SojournCottages in the beautiful 1000-island region ofupstate New York on the banks of the St. LawrenceRiver. Cottages are cute and clean and arecompletely furnished to allow you to enjoy acarefree holiday. Subject to available dates. $260Value.

MANY OTHER PRIZES AVAILABLE:* Psychic reading by Walt the Wizard either in person or by phone. $100 value.* Brand-new in box HP InkJet color printer model 3845. $100 value.* A number of pieces of very nice 14-carat jewelry.* Other jewelry, women’s watches, and jade pig earrings.* One year of sponsorship for the pig of your choice.We have many great prizes - all donated by supporters soyour raffle ticket donations all go to help the animals, not to buy prizes!

And, as always, the biggest winners will be the animals!

Drawing will be held January 2, 2006 at Ironwood and winnersnotified by mail and in our February Newsletter.



2006 WINTER RAFFLE TICKETSHere are YOUR 2006 Raffle Tickets.. Please print clearly and fill in every ticketyou send. You can use your address label if desired. Tickets may be copied if you needadditional tickets for yourself, relatives, or friends. Please cut the tickets apart beforesending. $2 Suggested donation. The Grand Prize is a condo for a week in anexotic resort of your choice anywhere in the world. See page 6 for details. Drawing willbe held at the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary January 2, 2006.

2006 Winter Raffle ticket. $2 DonationName _______________________________

Address _____________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________

Phone (optional) ( )_________________

2006 Winter Raffle ticket. $2DonationName _______________________________

Address _____________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________


Address _____________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________


Address _____________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________


Address _____________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________


Address _____________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________


Address _____________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________

Phone (optional) ( )_________________


Address _____________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________



The Queen of Mean!hen a new worker startstraining at the IronwoodPig Sanctuary, one of the

first tasks is to shadow an experiencedemployee during feedings. Thisallows the neophyte to gain anawareness of where pigs get fed, whoneeds extra food, attention ormedicine during feeding time.During this time the newcomerwill also be told which pigs towatch. “He’s a biter,” or “She canbe a little bitey” are phrasesspoken often during the course ofthe day.

Before I tell you about Ebony, Iwant to emphasize that the meanpigs are not always mean. Theyare very much like people youknow and meet every day. Theyhave different personalitiesdepending on various factors,which include food, weather, otherpigs, or people. The sweetest pig willnip your calf for a treat and the mostaloof pig will suddenly become themost gentle if offered a little piece offruit.

That said, when I began working withthe pigs last March, I was told to‘watch out’ for Ebony. She is a smallpig in our Assisted Living Phase IIfield. With her short legs, swaybackand splayed feet, she certainly doesn’tlook very dangerous. But when thetreats came out, LOOK OUT!

Ebony was raised as an only pig froma very young age. She was lovedunconditionally and was spoiledrotten. She lived indoors and wasoften seen with her hooves brightlypainted a feminine and equally garishshade. She ate from a velvet pillow...This may be an exaggeration, but youget the point. One day, Ebony’s owner

was no longer able to care for her, andshe was brought to a sanctuary. Ebonywas not happy. She was fed in a penbecause she would bite anyone whocame into the field. Not one personcould enter the field and escapeuntouched by Ebony. She was

classified as an ‘aggressive pig.’When the sanctuary went intoforeclosure, Ironwood purchased theproperty to keep a home for the 100pigs there. This became our Annex.Mary scooped up Ebony and broughther to Ironwood. She was placed in afield of older pigs along with somefriends she had made, Charlotte,Tippy, and Jack. Today, the four ofthem eat while separated from the restof the pigs in the field because they areslower and would have a hard timecompeting with the others for theirfood. And because they are slower, ittakes a little something extra to lurethem back into the field at the end offeeding — animal cookies!

Early in my employment I threw somecookies in front of Ebony to keep heroccupied while I put the others back inthe field. Inevitably, she would runout, and get a little too close for

comfort, determined to get anothercookie. The next thing I noticed wasthat Ebony would wait by the frontgate to chase me down the hill to herfeeding area. It became difficult towalk in the field while she was awakeand wandering around.

One day, while she frantically atethe cookies that I threw on theground to get her little pointyteeth away from my hand, Ileaned down and began to pet her.Her sparse fur was smooth andsoft. She froze, and I jerked myhand away. Then I saw the fur onher back stand up. This, muchlike a dog’s wagging tail, is eithera sign of aggression or pleasure.She didn’t swing around to bitemy arm, so I continued to pet her.Her fur then stood up even higher,and she began to sway. The nextthing I knew, she had flopped

over, and I was giving a belly rub toone of the ‘meanest’ pigs around. Thenext night, I brought somestrawberries for her. She took themwith the gentlest lips. She didn’t seemto have a mean bone in her body.

Now, I pet her when I get to the gate,and instead of chasing me she runsahead to her feeding area. And whenshe gets her cookies, she leaves herteeth out of it. If I have extra time, Isit with her and scratch her ears beforegoing back to work.

Sometimes, we at the sanctuary play afantasy game, which could possiblybe called “If You Could Adopt A Pig,Who Would It Be?” There are alwaysmany different answers for each of us.Gentle, mean, big, small, talkative, orgreedy; we all have our favorites. Butat the top of my list is always Ebony.

---Karen

W

One of Our Pigs Would Love You as a Sponsor! IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARY Issue 14


AmosAnnaArnold

BaldwinBennie

BetsyBetty

BiffBlackjack

Black SocksBonitaBradley

ChiChorizo

ChrissyClareceDaley

DebbieDewey

Dixie LeeDoc

DuaneEbbyEdithEdwinFerdy

GilbertGracieHarleyHarrietHart

HondieHunter

IrmaJacksonJethro

John CoffeyJolee

JumperKane

LatashaLennie

Little HamletLittle'UnLoretta

LouieLucyMajorMai LyMama

MamacitaMargaret

MelbaMillieMiss-Piggy

MissyMorganMr. Pigg

OtisPearlPepePete

PetuniaPhoebe I

PigletPoindexter

Popeye

Welcome to all of our new sponsors!!

Thank you all for being such a wonderfuland important part of the lives of our pigshere at Ironwood! All that we do would not

be possible without all of your support!

If you would like to join our family ofsponsors, please use the enclosed envelopewith the pig of your choice. Here is a list

of pigs that need sponsors. A monthlydonation of $30 will help with the cost offood, water, shelter and healthcare needs.In return, I will send you periodic letters

and pictures of your pig so you know what isgoing on in your pig’s life.

Thank you again for all your support!Michelle

Margarita

Zeus

Piglet


PorkyPretty Girl

Princess

ProfitRogerRosieSally

SandyScarletScout

ShannonSheltonShirleySophie

SpikeSquiggy

StevieSusie

Sweet PeaTillie

VerdellWallaceWaylonWhiteSocksWillard

Woolly BullyWrinkles

ZenaZiggy

And There areMany

More...


Piggy Sue

Lucy

NoNo

Michelle

Oliver

d Love You as a Sponsor!

Angel

LANDMARK ARIZONA BALLOT MEASURE LAUNCHED TOBAN ABUSIVE FACTORY FARMING PRACTICES

Signature Gatherers URGENTLY Neededwww.yesforhumanefarms.org

A groundbreaking ballot initiative is now underway in Arizona to outlaw the crueland intensive confinement of pregnant pigs and veal calves on industrializedfactory farms. Volunteers must gather 200,000 signatures to place a measure onthe 2006 November ballot. Your help is needed!

Hundreds of volunteer petitioners are needed immediately to collect the 200,000signatures needed to make this initiative a reality in Arizona!

We urgently need your participation to make this vital effort a success for animals.



Please contact:Arizonans for

Humane FarmsPO Box 3095

Tempe, AZ 85280Phone: 480-449-

7644Fax: 480-449-7648

info@yesforhumanefar

I always save some space in our newsletter to thankeveryone who helps us. Thanks to all of you whomake financial contributions. Believe me, if it werenot for you, there would be no need for those whocome to rake the poops, deliver the blankets, buildthe shelters or do all the other tasks needed to helpgive our pigs a happy and healthy home, becausethere would be no home for all of our pigs. Nomatter how much or by which means you contribute,we so appreciate and depend on your help.

Thanks to Donna and Bob who come everyWednesday and spend their time focused on onething, raking the fields. Donna said she needs her

piggie fix and we are glad to have her help.Ironwood is a lot cleaner these days due to theirefforts. Please know that all of you who have helped insome way with building Phase III, cutting towels,chopping fruits and veggies, cleaning the visitorcenter, picking up blankets, or have helped in anycapacity to ease our load are so appreciated.

And last, but certainly not least, we want to thank allof you who have contributed to our winter Raffle.We hope it is a big success and don’t forget, thepiggies are the real winners!!!

---Mary

We Appreciate our Volunteers!

For all of our supporters from Arizona, I hope that you will be able to help out with this initiative. Everysignature counts. Some great things have happened for animals in AZ through the initiative process, likebanning cock fighting and banning leg hold traps on public lands. Now lets help the pigs and calves!! -Mary



n our last issue, August 2005, wetold you about our problems at ourAnnex. Three months later we are

still uncertain about our future there.We have contacted our CountySupervisor and she may be able to giveus some help. For now we are on holdfor three to six months while thepossibility of a new ordinance isexplored. I thank all of you whohave written to wish us well.

Pamala and Angie continue to care for all of our pigs at the Annex and Ijoin them for work projects. We are looking ahead to build new sheltersto replace some of our old ones with the coming of fall. And of coursewe should have the winterizing complete by the time you read this.

----Mary

IMore on Our Annex

Chandler & Margarita

Eegee and Licorice

JT

Mr. T-BoneStrawberry

JT, Cid, and Tiffney

Petunia III

on’t miss our Open House on SaturdayNovember 12, 2005. Hours are from 11:00 a.mto 3:00 p.m. It is a great opportunity to meet

our sweet pigs and other supporters. There are tours ofthe sanctuary, refreshments and snacks. Free Admission.

The pigs love the attention with belly rubs and petting.Please refer to the invitation card you received in themail for directions. All roads to the sanctuary will bemarked with signs only on the day of the open house.From Phoenix get off of I-10 at exit 219. From Tucsonget off at exit 236. Do not use any of the mappingprograms such as MapQuest because they do not givecorrect directions. We are looking forward to your visit.Come and have a good time. The pigs will love it!



the doorways to cut the coldwinds.

We stuff the shelter with Bermudahay. Be careful with straw,however. We found during ourfirst winter that as the pigs wouldbury themselves in the straw, theywere getting the corkscrew-shaped pieces stuck in their eyesand we ended up treatingseveral pigs for eyeinfections. The wood chipsor Bermuda hay are saferchoices for bedding.

Blankets! Pigs LOVE theirblankets! Always makesure your pig has at leastone blanket. They will nestand burrow down insidetheir blanket or just rollthemselves up in it

completely. We've seen pigs carrytheir blankets out into the sunduring the day then drag themback into the shelters at night. Sojust remember these three thingsas you winterize your pig’s home:cozy shelter, bedding andblankets. Don’t forget that allyour animals will enjoy a warmdry shelter this winter.

he cold weather is fastapproaching. The nightsare getting cooler and the

piggies will need something extrato keep them warm. Here at thesanctuary, we will soon be rollingback some of the shade cloth to letin that warm winter sun. We’remaking sure that each shelter iswatertight to prevent the coldwinter rains from soaking the pigsand their bedding. Pigs like awarm shelter to burrow into whenthe cold sets in. We use dogloos(known around here as pigloos).These igloo-type shelters are greatand are available at major petstores. We have also built manywooden shelters similar in designto doghouses. We make sure thatthe shelter is not too big so that itdoesn't get too drafty inside. Wehang carpet with slits in it across

Open House!

TWinterizing Your Pig

One of Mary’s Open House Tours

D

Valentine In His Winterized Shelter



Assisted Living Phase II & III

Medical NeedsMake a donation directly to our vet!

For those of you who like to donate directly forthe pigs’ care, we now offer a means for you tomake a direct donation to our veterinarian, Dr.Page, either by credit card or check. Pleasesend checks to Adobe Veterinary Center,14175 N. Hawkeye Dr., Tucson, AZ 85742.Please indicate on your check that it is for theIronwood Pig Sanctuary. For credit carddonations please call (520) 203-8529. Thankyou so much for all of your support.

We acceptdonationswith thefollowingcredit or

debit cardsfor your

convenience.

ost of our pigs enjoy thefreedom of being in alarge field which

provides them the spaceto explore and the optionto choose their friends.However, some of ourpigs are not able to copewith a large field andcannot compete for foodin a large herd due toailments or old age.These pigs are kept inspacious pens with theopportunity to spendtime each day in ourlarge exercise yard. We often putthese pigs out with others so thatthey can have company anddevelop friendships.

Two years ago we decided tomake a smaller field for onlythese disabled pigs and called itthe Assisted Living Field. This

field was so successful that lastyear, with the financial assistanceof Francis Schilling in memory of

his recently departed wife, webuilt the Assisted Living Phase IIField.

Once again we found our pensfilling with ageing pigs thatneeded a field of their own, so wedeveloped an unused section ofthe Assisted Living Phase II Field

and called it Phase III, withFrancis Schilling’s help.

Our aging population of pigsreally enjoy these fields. Somechoose to stay near their shelterswhile others will explore theentire field.

Thank you Francis for yoursupport in building these twofields. The pigs there are happy tohave their own space where theycan mingle and pick their ownfriends.

M

Assisted Living Phase III

The Assisted LivingPhase II and III fields are

dedicated to the memory ofKathleen Schilling.

“She surely was an angel -or as good as angels be.”



HHeeaarrttllaanndd Animal HealthHeartland Animal Health will reduce the price of the items thatthe sanctuary normally purchases by 40%! This offer alsoapplies to any of our supporters who would like to purchaseproducts to be shipped to Ironwood. If you would like to makea donation of any of the following products to the IronwoodPig Sanctuary, please contact Heartland. The price shown isthe reduced price. The sizes shown are the sizes we normallypurchase. Please feel free to purchase a smaller size.

Item E1256 Pet Pig Elder-Aide GM 5 lb $74.97Item E1120 Pet Pig Survival Plus 32 oz $45.57Item E2150 Pet Pig Hair and Skin Conditioner 32 oz $29.97Item E3050 Pet Pig Aeromycin 5 lb $53.97

Please use this phone number for ordering: 800-325-8414-----Thank you for all of your support.-----

VisitorsWe love to have visitors to the

sanctuary. Our residents sure likethe treats and the belly rubs.

Whenever a group appears the pigscome forward to greet them

expecting a handout. You knowpigs, they have only one thing on

their mind - food!

Please call ahead for a reservationprior to your visit. There are timeswhen we either have limited staff ora medical visit from our veterinarianwhen we are not able to conduct any

tours.

THINGS WE CAN ALWAYS USE:

* Water Hoses* Heartland Products (See Below)* Desitin Creamy Zinc Oxide Ointment* Scissors* Stamps (37 cents)* Small Wading Pools & Turtle Sandboxes* Shade Cloth (Black Preferred)* Many Used Blankets* Doghouses & Igloo Shelters (Large Preferred)* Gift Card to Home Depot, Target, Walgreen’s* Vet Wrap

SHELTER MATERIALS:

* 1/2 Inch 5 ply, 4 ft x 8 ft Plywood* 8 foot 2 x 4’s* Kool Coat

REALLY BIG TICKET ITEMS:

* Clinic/Recovery Building* Tractor with Backhoe* Recent version of QuarkXpress (MAC)* 5th Wheel, RV or Travel Trailer

OTHER

* Running Vehicles in safe condition thatwe can resell

Our Wish List

As I sit quietly on the groundLittle faces gather around.

Curious snouts high in the airWondering who has settled there.

One, so brave, inches closerWagging his tail to win me over.

I reached out slowly for him to seeThat from this hand a friend can be.

Scratching his head he grunts a sigh of relief.He is home now in loving arms with me.

Ronald C. Caldwell

Little Faces

MISSION STATEMENTThe Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is dedicated to eliminating the suffering of pot

bellied pigs by promoting spaying and neutering, assisting owners and sanctuaries,and providing a permanent home in a safe, nurturing environment for those that are

abandoned, abused, neglected, or unwanted.Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is accredited by the American Sanctuary Association.



IRONWOOD PIG SANCTUARY34656 E. CRYSTAL VISIONS RD.MARANA, AZ 85653520-631-6015ironwoodpigs@starband.netwww.ironwoodpigsanctuary.org

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**november 2005 newsletter · november 1, 2005 dear supporter, these have been excruciatingly...

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