LONGMONT, Colo. (KDVR) — A farm pig that was set to be slaughtered at a pig roast in Nebraska has a second chance at life thanks to a Colorado nonprofit.
The Good Life Refuge is an animal sanctuary located in Longmont with more than 60 animals rescued from a variety of situations.
“We provide a safe haven for farm animals that have been neglected, abused or at risk of being killed,” Founder and Executive Director Nicole Brecht said.
Brecht said they were contacted a couple weeks ago about a young, 225-pound pig named Juniper. Juniper was slated to be slaughtered at a hog roast event hosted by a church in Nebraska. The event was unexpectedly canceled and members of the church decided to find Juniper a new home.
“We were going back and forth. We’re pretty much at capacity but I felt like this pig specifically deserves a chance of life and a happy life,” Brecht said.
Brecht said Juniper was in bad shape when she arrived less than a week ago, smelling of feces and too scared to move. She said Juniper is still adapting to simple things like sunlight and the feeling of grass.
“Pigs are super sensitive and they’re actually picking up on emotions quite a bit,” Brecht said.
Eventually, Juniper will be introduced to the other farm pigs at the sanctuary.