ROY, Wash. — Seventy-one pigs involved in an animal cruelty case down in Oregon are now calling a farm in Roy their new home.
"They amaze me every day, the way that we see it, is they truly deserve a chance to live a good life," said Kate Tsyrklevich. Since 2017 Tsyrklevich and her partner have been running Heartwood Haven Farm Animal Sanctuary in Roy, Washington, focusing on protecting and rescuing animals who have been abused or neglected.
"We've rescued over 1,400 animals from cruelty neglect and abandonment. All of the animals here at the haven once had a really sad and traumatic experience just like these pigs," said Tsyrklevich.
There are 37 pigs out of 71 seized in a recent case involving felony cruelty charges that are still being investigated by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon. She couldn't provide us with any details on the case but said this past week she and her team went on a 17-hour trip to pick up this first batch of pigs.
"Extreme cruelty they suffered from seeing their own family members die in front of them and things that are even worse that are unimaginable to us and knowing that now they don't have to suffer from that same fate. And just get to be happy animals," said Tsyrklevich.
She plans on getting the rest of the pigs in the coming weeks. Tsyrklevich said this sanctuary isn't meant to be the pigs' forever home, but they will be cared for until she finds families willing to take these pigs in.
"There's a lot of really stressful and difficult parts but the good part is hanging out with them, that's what makes all of the hard work really worth it," said Tsyrklevich.