A YAN YEAN animal rescue group has saved two starving piglets living in a fish tank.
The group claims that the animals were kept in a house in a filthy fish tank measuring a metre by about 50 centimetres. Lyndall Thomson and Mistiana Williams, who run Safe Haven Horse Rescue, said the owners surrendered one piglet they thought was sick and sold them the second piglet when they discovered they were not a miniature breed.
“They thought they were tea-cup or miniature pigs, a breed that does not exist in Australia,” Ms Thomson said. “These piglets will grow to the size of a labrador or bigger.
“[They were] feeding them table scraps, which you shouldn’t do — these piglets were only babies and needed milk.”
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Ms Thomson said the piglets were about a week old when they were rescued a month ago. They were “bags of bones” weighing about 300 grams each, and had to be put on a milk diet. She said they were filthy and were taken to a dog groomer to be cleaned.
“They wouldn’t surrender the second piglet so I offered to buy him and the price went up and up to $175.”
Ms Williams said the owners had put the piglets in a fish tank because they had no idea how to care for them.
“There was dirt on the tank floor and an icecream container with water when they needed milk. They were starving and dehydrated.”
The male piglet, Wilbur, has been adopted by a woman on a farm as a companion for her pet pig, but the female, Babe, is still in the rescue group’s care.
Ms Williams, a pensioner and carer, and Ms Thomson, a state government worker, self fund the rescues, mainly of horses.
The pair last week paid $700 for four mistreated ponies.
For information, contact safehavenhorserescue@hotmail.com.
