Piglet that escaped truck is being cared for by Lucas County sanctuary

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A three-month-old piglet is now in the care of a Lucas County animal sanctuary after he escaped a transport truck and broke his leg in the process.

Anthony, a Yorkshire piglet, fractured his femur and was rescued from a southern Ohio highway by a Good Samaritan who brought him to the Good Shepherd Animal Sanctuary in Neapolis. Earlier this year, the same sanctuary rescued an 800-pound pig that was found wandering around Whitehouse and was later discovered to have been shot. The sanctuary cares for all kinds of animals, including horses, cattle, chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, goats, dogs, cats, and, of course, pigs.

According to The Good Shepherd founder, Christine Cox, Anthony’s injury was such that he needed special care, so they packed him up and sent him to Purdue University in Indiana. He left on Thursday morning, but before that, he was getting round-the-clock care.

“Due to the nature of his injuries -- he has open scabs and wounds -- he has been living in our house,” says Cox. “We don’t want flies bugging him. We want him comfortable. I am checking on him throughout the night. I feel like a new mom again. I have been waking up every two hours to make sure he is good. Anthony is a fighter. He has proven himself through and through with all his trials.”

The specialists at Purdue say Anthony does not need surgery at this point because his leg has already started to heal itself. They will continue to monitor his condition. The goal is to eventually have Anthony join a trio of rescued pigs that live at the sanctuary.

“Our hopes and prayers are that he can join Charles, Sadie, and Melinda in their pasture within the next year,” says Cox. “The three of them will spend their entire lives with us, and Anthony will too.”

Some of the animals are adopted, but many of the animals live out their days at the sanctuary. Seeing them thrive is what keeps Christine going through the tough times.

“Some days here are really hard, I’m not going to lie. We deal with some difficult cases. However, as I go through the challenges, I come out stronger and have a bigger passion for continuing my work.”

Anthony’s medical care is being paid for by donations to the sanctuary. Click here if you’d like to donate, or learn more about the work of The Good Shepherd Animal Sanctuary.

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