At Arthur’s Acres Animal Sanctuary, pigs – small and big – are the residents. The sanctuary in Parksville, New York is home to roughly 54 pigs, eight cats, and two dogs.

Todd Friedman, founder and executive director of Arthur’s Acres, said he opened the animal rescue farm in 2018 in Sullivan County as a place where animals are safe, seen, and deeply loved. The property was an abandoned backyard butcher house when he first toured it, says Friedman. “The property was an absolute disaster. Fences were falling down. Barns were falling apart. The ground was incredibly soaking wet.” 

During a property tour with a real estate agent, he heard a pig oinking. When he opened up a barn door, Friedman met a baby pig that he named Arthur after his grandfather and later named the farm after his first rescued pig, Arthur.

Friedman says he receives about four to five calls per day, sometimes up to 10, to take in animals. 

“We have several [animals] that were being burned for animal testing. We have pigs that were abandoned on properties… that were being physically abused, starved, overfed,” said Friedman.

The farm has now become a safe haven in the Catskills focused on rescuing pigs. Across the farm, visitors can find piglets sleeping, eating, or hanging out together. They rely on a balanced diet of organic beet-based potbelly grain they have for breakfast and dinner.

Friedman hopes visitors leave with a newfound appreciation for pigs and to stop eating animals. Visitors can book virtual or in-person group tours at the farm sanctuary at 89 Ahrens Road in Parksville. 

You can find more information on Arthur’s Acres Animal Sanctuary’s website.