Jolene is not your average pig—she’s a survivor, a homebody, and an absolute indoor legend. At roughly ten years old, Jolene came to us through a series of events that no pig should ever have to endure.
When her elderly owner passed away, Jolene—who had lived her entire life indoors—was removed from the only home she'd ever known by humane law enforcement. She ended up at our local SPCA, housed outdoors in the dead of winter. Jolene had never spent a single day outside, and the stress of exposure and sudden change hit her hard. I spent a week in back-and-forth negotiations to get her out and into my care.
By the time we rescued her, Jolene was clinically dehydrated, emotionally shut down, and completely unprepared for outdoor life. We rushed her to Cornell, where she spent two weeks receiving fluids, intensive care, and a thorough dental exam—where the vet called me almost laughing: Jolene had only four teeth, and her jaw was so smooth that it appeared she'd likely been born without any others at all.
Once she was strong enough to come home, Jolene moved into our dining room, where she now reigns alongside her roommate, Priscilla. And let us be perfectly clear: Jolene does not do "outside." We’ve tried. She refuses. After what she’s been through, she has officially retired from the outdoors, and we fully support her decision.
Jolene is an incredibly sensitive soul, one who takes a long time to feel safe—but once she does, she blossoms in quiet, subtle ways. We originally took her in as a foster, but we quickly realized that uprooting her again would be cruel. She needs peace, consistency, and people who understand her gentle, complex spirit.
So now and forever, Jolene is ours—and we are hers.
A forever indoor queen, living out her days in warmth, safety, and the kind of love she’s always deserved.