Bluebell the pig
It's with much sadness that we have to tell you that Bluebell the pig has died. Below is an explanation from the sanctury.
We have lost a unique animal and a very special friend. Bluebell has been put to sleep by the vet in her straw nest in the open barn. She had been with us for nearly three years coming from an intensive farming unit where she had lived for nine years, most of that time was spent on a concrete floor so Bluebell developed arthritis in her legs.
Not only did she rear her own piglets but, most unusually, orphaned ones as well. If sows are given other piglets to rear they normally eat them, Bluebell didn't she just loved them all. When she came to the end of her commercial life the farmer was so fond of and impressed with her that he arranged for her to come to the Sanctuary. Bluebell would roll over and put her legs in the air when she knew it was time for her Deep Heat Rub to her legs. She responded well to conventional and homeopathic treatment for her arthritis until last year when we all thought that in her own interests the decision had to be made to call the vet out one last time. Well, the vet came and suggested a new treatment which we tried and Bluebell responded well to it.
Bluebell was a very happy, dignified, compassionate and sociable pig. She was always smiling even when she was asleep and would always chat with you when you went to sit with her. When Babe the pig arrived last Christmas she and Bluebell became great friends with Babe frequently visiting Bluebell throughout the day to keep her up to date on what was happening around the Sanctuary.
Bluebell loved red apples and more recently a mug of hot chocolate in the evenings.
Her mobility had gradually deteriorated to the point where we felt we could no longer keep Bluebell as comfortable as we would have liked. So in Janet's words, "We wanted her to go out on a good day." And that is exactly what she did.
She has left a huge gap for all of us here at the Sanctuary and for all her visitors and sponsors. She gave so much in her life and it was our privilege to have her with us for those few years, for us to be able to give her something back and to know that she was very happy.
We plan to create a small garden of remembrance for all the animals who are no longer here with us, Bluebell has prompted that. Her ashes will be buried under a tree in the garden which will be planted with bluebells and snowdrops.
"Janet the vet sedated her and she went off into a lovely deep sleep, no doubt dreaming about all her beloved piglets before he gave her the final injection. She was smiling, and she finally drifted off into the deepest sleep of all still with the smile on her face."
