By: Lana Hollenback

History… I never liked history when I was back in school. I used to think there was no need for it. It was about the past and we were the future. Since I now have a history and can look back, I see why it is so important for us to know and not only to know, but to understand. History teaches us how to go forward, and how not to make the same mistakes that have been made in the past. It takes us into the future with a new understanding of the world and what goes on and is going on around us. It utilizes all the places we have come from and where we are going…not only that but how we are going to get there.

How many know the old saying “Walk softly and carry a big stick”? Well, that’s not quite right. Theodore Roosevelt said in a speech he gave in 1903, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. Funny how things over time can get started and people buy into it not knowing all the facts. We just spout off and go from there. The definition of the saying by President Roosevelt was that you speak softly and you only use the stick as a very last resort and he was speaking of dealing with other countries, and not people individually.

Today I spent time with a rescue person, who by the way, I love dearly. We had a good conversation about things going on in rescue and we have both seen what happens when the facts get distorted. Even when it gets straightened out over time, the worst is already done. People buy into things and then don’t follow up to learn the truth. A couple years ago I wrote a piece on how people sometimes need to go to the “horse’s mouth” and not take everything said as the gospel. This is very crucial to all of us in rescue. Each and every one of us can learn from the past…past

accomplishments and past failures. It is how we handle each that counts in the end.

When we jump in carrying and swinging a big stick about someone, it makes for long enduring pain for the pigs that need our help, and it never solves anything. It only keeps stirring the pot and causes people to choose sides. Sometimes because all of the truth isn’t out, we choose the

wrong side. Then the facts gets distorted and the falsehood goes on.  We see this so much in the world of rescue. Not just for pigs but for all animals and rescues. Rescues get their names dragged through the mud and destroyed even if they have done no wrong. Sometimes it is just that someone has a vendetta against someone. What better way to destroy someone or a rescue then to go to social media and start a rumor. As I’ve stated before, when was the last time you saw organizations like ASPCA or HS get on to social media and argue and fight? Many more also keep the animal they are working with first and other things and disagreements are settled  privately. Fighting and arguing about someone or rescue cuts funding and hurts the very animals we work so hard to help.

Another fact is that no one comes in and starts a rescue knowing all the facts and right and wrongs. Many or most of us learn as we go. I know I did. But thanks to many of those who had been doing it awhile, they encouraged me to keep going. Sometimes they would get on my case for something they thought I did wrong and really let me have it. Sometimes they were right and I was wrong but other times I was in the right.  So when they got around to it they’d pick up the phone and call me and ask why I did such a thing. After hearing my side of it, they saw that what was being said was totally wrong or at least leavened with untruth. One person that stands out is Phyllis Battoe who ran a sanctuary in Illinois. She has since passed on. Over the years we became

good friends and she told me on more then one occasion that she was glad she learned to pick up the phone and call me personally.  It is very hard to determine facts over the internet, social networks and emails. The best way is to go straight to the person or at least pick up the phone

and call. Many issues have been resolved by doing just that…place that call.

As rescue people, we are working to rescue the animal we love.  We should not use the internet, social media and e-mails as a stick to beat people up. We are not called upon as police. We have legal agencies for that.  If we think something is wrong, go check it out first hand. Talk it over with your board. Discuss and put together a plan to find the truth. If you live far away, maybe find someone closer to go check personally. Just be sure the people checking know what to look for and know the rights of wrongs of it.  Then don’t plaster it all over the web. Bring the facts back to your board and together decide what is the best way to help the animals.  Don’t use a stick (your mouth) to jump in and beat up people. By doing so you put all the animals involved and those yet to come in danger. Would you trust someone who you knew spread rumors and

caused havoc? I don’t think so. Again it is the matter of putting the animals first, the animals (pigs) you say you love so much. Think of them and what is not only the best for them but for those who will need help in the future.

Speak softly and carry a big stick. By speaking softly, it means you don’t raise your voice by plastering it all over the internet and social media. You work behind the scenes to help save and protect animals in need.  You use the stick for the big guys, but then only if needed (as

in those in authority).  Learn how to help and encourage those just starting or those who haven’t been rescuing long. Teach them the good ways and help them make the right choices. Help them help the animals. Walk with them and speak softly and use that stick only as a walking stick.  It helps you keep your balance so you do what is right for the animals you say you love. Prove it…speak softly!

One more thing…if you are new to rescue, meaning 3 years or less and you make a mistake or bad choice, own it and move on. Go to someone who has been rescuing awhile or someone you can trust and talk it over and find out how to solve or correct the problem. Do this in private and

reach a conclusion and follow through on it. Denying it or trying to cover it up won’t help.  We want to see people make good choices and to always put the animal first. We know mistakes are made but it’s how we react to them that counts in the end. And believe we, we all make ourshare of mistakes but it is how we deal with them that counts.

So the bottom line is, we need to learn our history and how to use it to help the animals. The day will come when you will become part of that history that others will look to for advice and we want to be sure we have done and said things the right way. It is what makes a good organization now and in the future. So reach back and take a hand and walk with that newer rescue person. Teach them the old ways and also explore newer ways of doing things just a little better for the animals. Allow that “big stick” to bring you the balance that is so needed. It works great!

The story of how far pig people and animal lover’s alike will go to rescue a pig. By Lana Hollenback

I have done lots of rescues for pigs. Mostly pigs that are dumped by their owners for lots of different reasons. Some from Animal Control where they are found after being turned loose by their owners. But this spring I had the wonderful opportunity to do a rescue in Ohio.

I left Florida on June 1 with my mom, three prairie dogs, one ten yr old pig, one five yr old female from our animal control and another one from Panama City animal control plus three babies from Noah’s Ark in New Port Richie Florida. What a trip it was.

I had received a phone call about a month prior to the trip stating that close to my hometown in Ohio was a potbellied pig that had been dumped out on a farm. I asked for the phone number and called the farmers. I ask if we could have permission to try and get someone to come rescue him.

I searched through the Internet for someone in the area and made several phone calls but no one was available to go and try to get him. I stayed in contact with the farmer over that month and told him that I was coming that way and if all else failed, I’d try to get him when I got there.

I tried desperately to find someone with a dart gun and darts. I call every vet in Pickaway County that I could find on the Internet and also in Amanda in Fairfield County. If I found the gun, I couldn’t get the darts since no one knew me. I was getting close to leaving and finally I posted to the TLC all animal rescue list of my problem. And here is where the story began to unfold and the rescue started coming together.

A very special lady named Ann Curry from Oxford Ohio whose email address was IGIVEHIMGLORY@aol.com, responded that she might know someone who could help and sent me the address of Janet Ambose who lived in Pomeroy Ohio and worked in animal rescue but not pet pigs. I called Janet who immediately asked just what I needed and said she thought her vet would work with her on it.

She stated she would be glad to meet me there and help when I explained that I would have a truck and carrier but that I had bad knees and couldn’t walk, let alone run to get this pig which by now had been running wild for three or four months and was totally wild. It meant a three-hour drive for her to come from Meigs County Ohio. She called later to say she had the dart gun, medicine and darts and we gave her directions to Bob and Dixie Winters farm on route 188 right outside of Amanda Ohio.

A pig rescue gal from Toledo also said she could come help but couldn’t on that day. She did say that if we failed to capture him, she could bring in a team of people from Toledo area to help. I made several calls to Bob and Dixie fine tuning the rescue and also Bonnie Tipton and Ron Crosby agreed to go along and help from Ashville Ohio. Neither of these people are pet pig owners but do love animals and so agreed to help.

Now I delivered the 10-year-old Salami to Mike and Leigh Anthony in Chatworth GA on the way to Ohio. I then delivered Ms Catherine from Panama City Animal Control to Jim and Tamara Schweitzer at Safe Harboar Pig Rescue and Sanctuary in KY and made arrangements for her to meet up with me in Hamilton, Ohio to collect the boar to take to the vet for neutering and taming.

After leaving there we ventured onto Hamilton where we met Chuck and Deanna Moon-Hennon who run a small animal rescue on their farm. They offered to keep my traveling pigs while I took my mom to her sisters and so I could visit for the night.

I returned the following morning and they reloaded our pigs and off we went to Groveport, Ohio where I spent the night and then picked up Bonnie Tipton and made the final delivery of pigs to Napoleon, Ohio where Charlie found a forever home and where Dana and Bob came from IN to pick up two of the babies and Matt and his family drove down from Ann Harbor, MI to pick up their newly adopted piglet. We also delivered the three prairie dogs to the gal who drove down and met us at Daine’s place. So six pigs found wonderful forever homes. Then I went back to Ashville to finalize the capturing of the boar running wild.

On Saturday, June 9th I got up early and readied the carrier with blankets to protect him once he was darted. Then off I went to meet up with the rescue team at the Winter’s farm. I arrived first and met Bob and he stated the pig was in the field with his cows but didn’t know how long he would hang around. So I waited and waited. Soon I was joined by Bonnie and Ron, but Janet was really one full hour late due to a detour.

I was frantic, fearful the boar would wonder off. Soon Janet arrived and handed me a box with the Tealazol and darts. Yikes, my vet always fills them and puts them together for me. Not so this time. I had never seen a dart before that was not put together. None of us knew how to put one together or how to get the Tealazol in it. But with the farmer threatening to get his own gun, I knew we were the only chance this pig had of having a life.

So we called the vet who referred us to a manual with a diagram on how to put them together. Even Bob Winters jumped in to help with his tools. Soon the dart was loaded and it was time to go and find the boar.

When we got to the field, he was no where to be seen. Dixie came out with binoculars and we began the search. Soon they found him napping in an old hay stack and out he came on the run. People had invaded his territory. He moved out through the pasture at a very determined gate with his tail straight in the air. He was a pig with a purpose and that was to get out of harms way. Little could he understand that we only wanted to save him.

He tried to make it to the woods, but Bob and Ron headed him off and turned him around always being careful not to cause him to break into a fast run. We wanted him relatively calm so the sedation would work better. Soon he headed for the cows which just didn’t like his loving ways and they began to head butt him. I was afraid of them breaking his back, but this did slow him down so that Bob could get off a clear shot right into the ham.

Five minutes later he was down for the count. I hurried to pull the truck into the next corn field to get as close as possible with the carrier. The rain had not helped in that the fields were really wet. Bob and Ron drug him to the fence and Bob held the hot wires up while we passed him through and into the carrier. He was beautiful and weighed about 80#. Hooves were in good shape. I was very fearful of having overdosed him and also of the heat. Janet found a small blanket and we wet it down and laid over him.

Dixie told Bonnie that although an avid animal lover, she just didn’t see anything beautiful about this pig. I thought he was just beautiful and said so. I scratched and rubbed on him a little while he slept knowing he wouldn’t allow it once he was awake. Then I thanked the team of people who helped. I really appreciated all of them since they were not pet pig people and had gone out of their way to help. I didn’t want to move him far until he was awake and so drove the 15 minutes back to Phil and Janet Karchnick’s place to await him waking up.

It didn’t take long and he was thrashing about coming out of the Tealazol. I cried and wished I could just hold him so he wouldn’t hurt himself. Soon he made the attempt to stand and Janet and I, in a different vehicle, started our trip to Hamilton. She was going on to Cincinnati and would follow me a ways in case I needed help.

I drove to Lebanon where I had to stop for gas. When I got out of the truck and walk back to pump the gas and he saw me, he went crazy knocking the carrier door plum off. I grabbed it and put on a bungee cord, got my gas and headed onto the Moon-Hennon farm where I was to meet up with Tamara from Safe Harboar.

While on the way Tamara called and said she had a sick pig and couldn’t possibly come there until the following day. When I arrived at the farm, I realized he was way to wild to just turn lose into a pen. He would get away. Chuck put on several other bungie cords to help hold him in while Deanna covered the carrier with the hopes that if he couldn’t see us, he would settle down some. It worked and then I called Tamara back explaining the problem.

She agreed that if I’d return to KY she would meet me in Sparta, KY with a horse trailer and take him back with her. So I was off again to KY. I was really worried of him breaking out but he seemed to settle down when the truck was moving.

We arrived at about the same time. Tamara said she’d just back up to my truck and turn him lose in her trailer. I laughed and said she better first look at how wild he was. We then decided the best thing to do was move the whole carrier into her horse trailer and leave it. Once we moved it into the trailer and brought up the door, she preceded to climb over and release the carrier door so he could come out in the hay. Wham, he was lose and took a flying leap at the back door where I was standing. Talk about “BOAR BREATH”; it would knock you over.

We blocked the door and went in for a cold soda before we both started our journey home. One of the things I worried about was my truck as the engine light had come on before starting my journey to get the boar and I had no idea what was wrong. But when it comes to saving a pig, you do what you have to do. I took it in the following day and it was a speed sensor to my transmission and they were able to fix it without any problems.

Today our Ohio boar has been named Little Richard and is safely residing at Safe Harboar Pig Rescue and Sanctuary in Frankfort, KY. He is no longer a boar as he has made his trip to the vet and that problem was corrected. He is now a barrow. It will take time for him to calm down, but is doing well.

Many thanks go to the people who helped with this rescue. They are: Ann Curry from Oxford, Ohio; Janet Ambrose who drove more than 3 hrs from Meigs County and her vet, Dr. David, Bonnie Tipton and Ron Crosby from Ashville, Oh, Bob and Dixie Winters who allowed us to rescue him from their farm on State Route 188 in Fairfield County, Ohio, and Jim and Tamara Schweitzer of Safe Harboar in Frankfort, KY.

Because of all their generosity, he now is living a very safe and happy life. Dixie couldn’t believe that people would travel so far just to rescue a pig. Now she knows how much we care about them and not just us pet pig owners, but animal lovers from every where that came to help. To them, “Little Richard” will be eternally grateful as I am also.

By: Lana Hollenback

I want to go back. Back to a simpler time. A time when families were held together with super glue and extended well beyond just mom, dad and grandpa and grandma. Where sisters actually hung out together and shared those timely secrets that only sisters can. A time when brothers looked out for their sisters and didn’t let anyone shove them around.

A time on weekends when families got together for cookouts and walks in the park. A time when we looked to our past to find our future.

We thrived on the wisdom of our parents and no nursing home was good enough for our parents. I want to go back.

To a time when families helped each other and their were no hidden secrets in the closets or under the bed. Where we could express our feelings without fear of ridicule from our loved ones. Where folks knew how to put in a full days work for a good days pay. A time when we really knew how to play. Remember Croquette and Dodge Ball or even Roll at the Bat? I want to go back.

To a time when mom didn’t have to work just so Dad could drive that fancy new car. And Dad made enough money to put groceries on the table and when the blessing was said, every head at the table bowed even if it was only beans and tators. To a time when families could laugh and play and love and just be families. I want go back.

I’m living way to fast you see and the weight of life is weighing me down. But not to worry, I won’t burden you with my problems. You’re much to busy, I know. You need those name brand clothes and the kids need that in-ground pool. They have to impress those friends at school. And lest we forget, there’s a church at the end of the street. I want to go back.

But it’s way to late and we can’t go back. So I’ll look to the future and to the crossing of the bridge of life. As I looked into the eyes of my aging mother with Alzheimer’s and realize she didn’t even really know me, I was not frightened. You see, none of us know each other any more. We’re living way to fast. I want to go back.