The full story of Maple’s rescue, healing, pregnancy loss, and the family she built in spite of it all!  The night before Halloween, a frightened young pig named Maple came within moments of losing her life. Instead, she became the center of one of the most emotional rescue stories our sanctuary has ever experienced – a story that has now reached tens of millions of people around the world. This is Maple’s full story.

An Urgent Call That Changed Everything

Late in the evening on October 30th, Sisu Refuge received an emergency call from animal control officers in Lenoir County, North Carolina. What we were told was alarming – and time-sensitive. Earlier that day, Maple and another pig had been loose on the I70 in New Bern, NC. Her companion was struck multiple times by passing vehicles… he was left in the center of the highway. When police arrived, they euthanized the other pig, and Maple was scared and fled into the woods alone. Later, Maple was spotted on a doorbell camera in a nearby neighborhood. Police and animal control searched for her but couldn’t find her. They called us to ask for help trapping or loading her if she was found. While we were still on the phone, another call came in. A neighbor reported a group of men chasing and beating a pig with sticks. The sounds were horrifying. Officers immediately responded. By the time they arrived, Maple had been hog-tied and immobilized in the back of a work trailer. The men told officers they would transport Maple to the shelter and exchanged phone numbers – but they never arrived. Instead, they drove her home to kill her. When officers realized Maple wasn’t coming, we asked for the man’s number and called. There was a language barrier, but my dad spoke with the men and managed to convince them to let us come take her instead. We immediately hooked up the trailer and drove to the address. When we arrived, we found Maple tied so tightly she could barely lift her head. She had urinated all over herself in fear. She was trembling. Her body showed clear signs of trauma. She flinched at even the gentlest touch and was utterly exhausted from prolonged fear and restraint. We shared the rescue in real time because we didn’t know how it would end. What we did know was this: If we didn’t act immediately, Maple would not survive the day.

The First Night: Safety for the First Time

Within hours, Maple was transported to safety at Sisu Refuge. Just twenty-four hours after her rescue, the change was already visible. Wrapped in a thick bed of hay, warm and finally able to rest, Maple slept deeply for the first time in what we believe had been a very long while. Nearby, two resident pigs stood at the fence, quietly vocalizing – a gentle introduction into a world that was no longer threatening. A nanny goat popped in repeatedly to welcome her. Maple was just beginning to learn what it felt like. In the days that followed, Maple’s injuries began to heal.

  • Rope burns faded
  • Swelling and bruising diminished
  • Her breathing slowed and she wasn’t as jumpy

Trust & Healing in Sanctuary

Maple began healing and learning to trust. Our co-founder Joseph, the man who untied her, spent hours simply sitting with her while she ate, offering calm presence without pressure. As Maple relaxed, something remarkable happened – a biological response seen only when pigs feel deeply secure. Female pigs release a specific combination of pheromones and hormones when they feel safe, connected, and content… It smells exactly like maple syrup. It’s a biological sign we don’t take lightly. For us, it meant Maple was no longer just surviving. She was healing! And that’s how Maple got her name.

The Discovery That Changed Everything Again

Just days into Maple’s recovery, something unexpected emerged. She was pregnant! After everything she had endured – the fear, restraint, displacement, and trauma – Maple had been fighting not only for herself, but for her babies. The reality set in quickly: If Maple had not been rescued when she was, none of them would have survived.

Changing Plans

Maple was supposed to head to another sanctuary, and then plan had been in place since the night she was rescued. We knew we couldn’t ask this organization to take Maple and TEN piglets… plus we didn’t want to stress her out with a long trailer ride while pregnant. So, we decided to keep Maple and her babies here at Sisu forever. But, we would need to figure out a new space and a proper set up for her to raise her babies. We waited, and Maple moved into a perfectly piglet pink maternity suite, she continued to heal and began thriving. Then one day, she went into labor. Or so we thought…. What we believed was the beginning of something beautiful was actually Maple’s body finishing a loss. The trauma Maple endured during her rescue had caused her to miscarry and her body had begun reabsorbing the piglets…. The movement we thought we saw on ultrasound was hope – not life. We rushed her to the nearest university veterinary hospital to help her through it. She came home heartbroken and alone. Maple grieved. She repeatedly returned to the corner where the loss had occurred, searching. And we knew something in her still needed healing. We believed Maple deserved the chance to be a mother. Joseph was able to rescue two piglets from a nearby nursery farm who had just lost their mothers. We introduced them to Maple gently and intentionally. She was overwhelmed at first, but was immediately interested. On their second meeting, Maple began mothering them – letting them nurse, cuddling, comforting – as if they had always been hers. The piglets fell in love with her just as quickly.

Gandalf, the Unexpected Protector

And through it all, a little, lonely rooster Gandalf stepped up. Gandalf became Maple’s constant companion. He stood with her when she lost her babies. Cuddled her when she was grieving and now stands guard while the babies played and eat. He has stayed close through it all. Roosters are natural protectors – and Gandalf made it clear this was his family. Today, Maple, her adopted piglets Pepper and Poppy, and Gandalf still live together in a little pink house – surrounded by safety, companionship, and love. Not because everything went as planned. But because healing sometimes means building a family in a different way.

Why Maple’s Story Matters

Maple’s story isn’t just about rescue. It’s about trauma, loss, resilience – and healing in unexpected ways with chosen family. She reminds us that safety can change everything, that grief doesn’t cancel love, and that sometimes motherhood looks nothing like we imagined. Maple’s story is still unfolding. Thank you for being part of her story.