A Florida driver made nearly 30 phone calls to find help for an injured pig he discovered beside the road, giving the animal a chance to survive despite her rescuers' initial doubts.
An animal sanctuary is home to a now-thriving Violet, two years after that roadside rescue.
Here's what to know
Kris Meyer found Violet along State Road 70 on Florida's Suncoast, according to WWSB.
Only when he approached did he realize it was a pig, not the large, nearly hairless dog he first thought he had seen.
No one knows for certain how Violet was injured.
Her rescuers suspect a fall from a livestock truck; Violet had severe road abrasions, with blood and dirt covering her body.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Fandango Sanctuary in Englewood, Florida, agreed to take Violet after Meyer sought help from veterinary offices, rescue groups, and animal sanctuaries.
More background
The pig Iris Pisko saw at Fandango Sanctuary was in worse shape than the sanctuary's operator had expected.
A volunteer brought Violet to her shortly after 5 a.m.
"There was Violet lying on the back seat, totally lifeless," Pisko recalled. "And I said, 'She's not alive,' and then she moved a little bit."
Violet had been walking beside the road when Meyer discovered her, yet she was fighting for her life.
For three days, Pisko and the other caregivers feared she would not survive.
What's being done?
Violet's change during a feeding gave Pisko hope she would recover.
"In the middle of a chocolate Ensure, her little light in her eyes came back on," Pisko said. "And then I knew she's going to make it. And she loves people, and she's full of personality, and she's happy to be alive."
Violet runs around the sanctuary and enjoys her surroundings — a healthy life that followed months of recovery.
Meyer stopped because the vulnerable animal couldn't ask for the help she needed.
"The animals, they don't have a voice. We do," he told WWSB. "What was I supposed to do? Just let her walk around the street and have something bad happen to her?"
Where can I learn more?
Rescuers have stepped in to help other animals like Violet, while feral pigs have created different challenges for communities. These stories cover pigs needing homes and rescues involving a lamb and a raccoon.
• North Carolina rescue groups are seeking homes for 50 pigs after a hoarding rescue.
• In Australia, a traveler carried a vulnerable newborn lamb to a sanctuary.
• After an eight-hour drive, a rescuer stopped for a baby raccoon on a highway.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
