Mission Statement

The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is dedicated to eliminating the suffering of pot bellied pigs in Arizona and surrounding states by promoting spaying and neutering, assisting owners and other sanctuaries, and providing a permanent home in a safe, nurturing environment for those that are abandoned, abused, neglected, or unwanted.

We are home to approximately 540 pot bellied pigs.

Ironwood Celebrates Five Years!

Shown here are many of our first pigs five years later. Many of you are making this journey with us and you may recognize many of them from issues past.

June 10, 2001 we officially opened the doors of the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary. Claire and Popeye arrived that evening. Then on June 11th Misty and Tully came, June 12th Owen and Taylor, June 14th a litter of babies, June 15th Oreo came to our home and June 30th Blossom arrived along with Eddie and Flapjack. That rounded out our first month and filled the 8 pens we had constructed at that time, and the overflow went to our home and introduced me to my dear beloved Oreo.

Soon thereafter Pearl, Princess, Bubba, Mr. Pibb, Arnold, Benjamin and Oliver, Desiree, Pammy, Corky and so many others followed them. We built more pens and they were soon full, and we anxiously awaited the completion of our large 6-acre field. With a sigh of relief, our field was completed in early Oct. 2001 and we began the hard process of releasing our pigs out of the pens and into the fields. This is never an easy task since pigs sometimes fight furiously for their position in the herd, so these first few days were a prelude of what was to come and the beginning of subdividing our new large field to suit the capabilities and ages of our new family.

Since those early days in 2001 so much has changed. Our facility has grown and we now have a good well and storage for 40,000 gals of water. We hope to have power by this summer, and our staff continues to grow to meet the growing needs of our pigs. A large herd of pigs arrived from Pigs*A*Lot in January of 2002, as well as a small herd of less-able pigs from there. These became our East and West fields. Ben, Donna, and I had volunteered there and some of those pigs, like my Wilma, were the reason Ironwood became a reality. I had come to love some of the pigs so much and as Pigs*A*Lot grew to overflowing and more calls came in to take pigs we decided the only solution was for us to open another sanctuary. Of course this was not the solution nor will it ever be. The only solution is to stop the breeding, which we try to do every time we have the opportunity.

The years passed and more homeless pigs arrived and more field divisions were made. Nineteen arrived from a sanctuary near Phoenix and 7 from a large Florida rescue. In May of 2003 we purchased the Annex property, previously Pigs*A*Lot, where we had our beginnings, and our family grew by nearly 90 pigs. In July of 2004 St. Matilda’s was unable to continue and our family grew by 46, and in September of 2004 the final 30 pigs from Pigs*A*Lot were back home at our Annex.

We now have 440 (2006) (we have 540 in 2008) pigs living at our two facilities. We continue to take in more pigs as we find homes for others and are making every effort to keep our numbers stable. In all, over these five years, well over 600 pigs have been a part of Ironwood. Many have gone on to new homes and others have lived out their lives with us. We have been happy and fortunate to provide them a safe nurturing environment for the rest of their journey. Our lives are now co-mingled and we are making the journey together.

From the President

In the past I have talked about our yearly anniversary in our May issue. This year is a milestone. June 10th will mark FIVE years since the gates of the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary opened and Claire and Popeye called Ironwood home. Please see my anniversary article with pictures of our first pigs as they are now, five years later. Their history and stories are all still with me. The tiny muddy pens, the tearful child, the adults whose lives have fallen apart and the pig is now a part of their history, the strays who are wandering the streets or desert, the animal control pens, the plush lives they led in a fancy home and yard but now their people can't or won't keep them.

This is who they are and how and why they came to us. We are so glad we are here to offer them the refuge they need when their lives change and they have no place to call home. Many of them are now so settled with us that I could not or would not think of moving them again. This is their home and the friends they have made and herds they have formed are now permanent. We are now confining our adoptions, with few exceptions, to new arrivals. It makes it more difficult to make a good match for those interested in adoption, but with patience we most often find a match, and since our main interest is the welfare of our pigs, we choose not to disrupt the lives of those who have been with us for an extended time. There are still many who are recent arrivals who need a home.

We are now getting our fields ready for the hot summer ahead and our permanent herds are moving out of their shelters and into their favorite wallow, shade ramada, or under the tree where they have hung out for many seasons. The carpets are down and in many cases new shade cloth has been put up or repaired. The hot AZ desert is not an ideal home for these animals with a tropical history who like to forage and nest, but this is where they are so we do all we can to make them happy and comfortable.

PS: Your support has made these past five years possible and your continued support will make the next five years possible and keep the lives of our pigs from being disrupted again. Thank You!

Employees Needed

Animal Care Providers

WANTED: Trustworthy, caring person who loves animals to live at and work at the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary, a non-profit pot bellied pig sanctuary located near Marana, AZ, a rural area of southern Arizona one hour drive north of Tucson. Experience with working with animals, medical knowledge, and the ability to work with others is necessary.

This is HARD work. Job duties include, but are not limited to, cleaning pens and fields, feeding, hands-on care of pigs who are disabled, injured, or sick, or general animal care and help with trimming tusks and hoofs. Handling 50# bags of feed and assisting with moving bales of hay to the various feeding stations. Must be willing to work some weekends and holidays as necessary. Five day work week is standard.

Housing if free and consists of one of the following depending upon availability: a bedroom with private bath and large walk-in closet, a 40 foot completely self contained 5th wheel trailer, a 35 foot completely self contained 5th wheel trailer, and a bedroom with shared bathroom. Utilities are provided. TV and high-speed internet access is available in all accommodations. We can accommodate companion animals.

References and background are checked. No drugs period. Non-smoker and vegetarian preferred.

The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is located in Marana, Arizona on 80 acres in a beautiful Sonoran desert habitat. The climate is moderate in winter and hot in summer. Summer daytime temperatures can be in the 100's with nighttime temperatures in the 60's-70's. The surrounding mountains are perfect for hiking. Southern Arizona is a premier bird watching area.

We are looking for a dedicated person who is ready to commit to the care of unwanted and abused pot bellied pigs. Is that YOU?