Tootsie was brought to the Humane Society in 2021. Someone had found her in the city of Saint Louis, covered in scrapes and bruises. She was so tiny (only 8 pounds!) and had signs that made us believe she fell through a hole in the side of a livestock semi-truck. The second she arrived, we began her rehabilitation. Her wounds were treated, she received her routine vaccines, and we started her on a feed specially made for production piggies! And then she began to grow… and grow… and GROW!

Before we knew it, Tootsie weighed over 500 pounds! She was a big girl with a BIG appetite. Our volunteers and visitors loved her, and the staff enjoyed watching her play with her two buddies, the Kune Kune Barn Buddy brothers. She was extremely intelligent and was taught tricks growing up, including how to sit for her food and spin. We loved how big and healthy she was, but with her growth came a new problem: who would adopt a 500-pound pig as a pet?!

Elle would!!

Elle, the owner of a non-profit pig sanctuary in Georgia (Ellie’s Potbellies), saw Tootsie through the Chicagoland Pig Rescue’s social media and knew she had to bring her home. We began searching for a hauler to take her south to Elle, and finally were able to schedule a time and date for her departure!

In February 2023, after a two-day road trip, Tootsie finally arrived to her new forever home in Georgia, where she will live happily among other pigs in a home where she will be free to grow, eat, and play like a pig should. Thank you, Elle, for giving her (and many other pigs) the home she deserves. Thank you to Jeff and Sally, who made the road trip with her to get her to her forever home. And thank you to the staff and volunteers who helped care for her while she lived with us.

Good luck Tootsie!! We will miss you!