Pasado’s Safe Haven is a no-kill
sanctuary – this means that animals we rescue may live out their lives in peace
on an 80 acre farm. Occasionally, when an animal is in, or reaches, a medical
state that reasonable veterinary medical protocols cannot bring respite from
pain or suffering, we humanely euthanize the
animal.
Oliver is a product of the
pork-producing industry. His body, as those of all meat-producing hogs, grew to
500-600 lbs, well beyond what nature intended. As Oliver grew, he developed
medical conditions common in slaughter pigs.
In the short time that Oliver spent
at Pasado’s sanctuary, staff and volunteers grew extremely close to him. He was
an amazing personality. He was excited to see people – and would snort and
welcome every human who came close to him. Because of his extraordinary
personality, he became a favorite – which, we believe, is why it was so hard for
some to say goodbye, and not face reality.
As Oliver gained weight with age, he
became less and less ambulatory. Although many knew that his quality of life was
diminishing, a select (and vocal few) believed he should be allowed to live, no
matter what.
In the last year, Oliver
deteriorated to the point where he could barely stand. And when he did (mostly
after acupuncture treatments), he would be on his feet, unsteadily, for not more
than 15-20 minutes a day. When he could stand, he would fall. On one day, he
fell against gate hardware, that had never been responsible for an injury of any
animal in the history of Pasado’s. It tore a huge laceration across his hip,
adding to his misery.
Pigs are extremely clean creatures,
despite the myth that they’re “dirty”. They will never urinate or defecate where
they sleep. Oliver would routinely wake in the morning in his urine and feces.
Volunteers (see sample attached) became horrified that he would have to drag
himself if he moved at all.
Pasado’s Safe Haven’s staff and
veterinarian consulted specialists in porcine and large animal care, from
Pigs are gentle in nature. But
Oliver slowly became aggressive, exhibiting unhappiness. In the decade since
Pasado’s opened in the aftermath of Pasado the donkey’s brutal slaying, we have
never met a pig that would bite. Once Oliver’s condition (see attached
veterinary summary) hastened, he became increasingly aggressive, acting out of
agony. After he fell on the gate hardware, he was very aggressive and bit, even
though gently touched. Sadly, a narcotic protocol, which would be the only
answer to quell the pain, could not be used long-term due to digestive problems.
Alternatives were not strong enough to bring him
relief.
Pasado’s Safe Haven has developed
first-ever apparatus’ for non-ambulatory animals such as bulls, chickens,
turkeys, and goats. (See attached photos). Food animals, who become
non-ambulatory due to genetic breeding, are given every opportunity to live a
healthy, full life. Attached photos show:
- The first-ever
prosthetic leg developed for a 1600 lb. bull who had been shot
four times by drive-by shooters.
- Slings for
chickens and turkeys who have been bred for high-muscle meat production and
whose skeletons fail them as they grow.
- Temporary
harnesses for ruminants such as goats who need to remain
on-their-feet to be able to digest while recovering from injury or
surgery.
The dedicated staff and volunteers
do not enter into the decision to euthanize an animal lightly. It requires a
jury of veterinarians, staff, those volunteers who work with the animal the most
– to all come together to make a decision that is most
humane.
We are deeply saddened that those
who do not work here or spend every day with Oliver and who have no knowledge of any of the veterinary
opinions (nor have asked) have decided what is best for Oliver.
Furthermore, the suggestion that we
take an animal, who has no veterinary medical option to make him better, and
“give him” to another sanctuary (which has been suggested by these vocal few),
is passing off a problem onto someone else and resolves nothing for Oliver. If
there was an answer for Oliver, then we should have found it. If it doesn’t
exist, as we feel it does not, then we are making the correct decision to let
him go peacefully. To put an animal, in pain, through transport, is inhumane in
itself. That being said, we would always consider asking another animal rescue
organization to take an animal if: we didn’t have the means to pay for the
protocol the animal needed or the animal was outside Pasado’s Safe Haven’s
mission.
Although we are grateful for the
good work people do, and have done, it does not give them license to attack the
very people who dedicate their lives to saving animals. We are, and always
should be, open to ideas and suggestions as well as criticism when it is
deserved. But when an animal spends nearly 95% of his day, laying down, dragging
himself to try to move, urinating and defecating and unable to move away from it
– it is time that we make a decision that isn’t easy to make. And if some do not
agree, our top concern is Oliver.
Oliver is finally pain-free. He was
euthanized where he spent his short life, in a thick bed of straw, surrounded by
very brave people, who made the toughest of choices on his behalf.
For the
animals,
Susan
Michaels
Founder, Pasado's Safe
Haven
Pasado’s
Safe Haven has been rated a 4-Star Charity for a record four years in a row.
According to Charity Navigator, the nation’s premiere independent evaluator of
charities: “Only 10% of all charities in the
Michael Smith, Chief
Operating Officer, Charity Navigator