The Cotton Branch Farm Sanctuary in Leesvile, South Carolina, posted on Facebook last week that it is looking for volunteers to help cuddle and socialize their latest residents — a large group of pigs — in order to help them get ready for adoption.
Just over a year ago the farm, “a sanctuary for abandoned, abused, neglected, elderly and disabled farm animals,” became home for 550 pigs after they were rescued from Kentucky, where they were in a hoarding situation and not receiving adequate care, WLTX reports.
Now, with over 100 pigs left needing a home, Evan Costner, the executive director of the sanctuary, told the The State that the sanctuary is hoping to rehabilitate those pigs and prepare them for adoption.
With enough regular socialization, WLTX reports, the pigs will begin rolling over to ask for belly rubs and will follow people around to ask for attention, which would be a big change from their previously isolated existence.
The sanctuary’s president, Josh Carpenter-Costner, told WLTX that the sanctuary will start to see a difference in pig behavior after just an hour of socialization. But he warns the potential pig pet owners would need a big yard, at least a quarter of an acre, to keep the animals happy.
Yard space aside, pigs make for good pets, The State reports. They are quicker to house train than a dog and enjoy being both inside and outside, as long as they have shelter for bedtime.