Laurel & Hardy are two potbelly pigs that were rescued from the Twist of Fate cruelty case back in July of 2022. Pictured above, Laurel is all pink and Hardy is spotted. 

Not too much is known about their backstory. Ashley DiFelice had rescued two pregnant pigs from the same hoarding case in May of 2020 named OJ and Pearlie Mae. OJ gave birth at TOF on July 20, 2020 and had seven babies. Pearlie Mae gave birth on August 17, 2020, also to 7 babies. It is believed that Laurel and Hardy are two of those fourteen babies, though it's not clear who their mother is. 

Once the neglect was discovered, any surviving siblings they had were adopted out to sanctuaries, including Pearlie Mae & OJ.** Many of the animals were given new names at their new homes, but it doesn't look like Laurel and Hardy ever had names at Twist of Fate - as far as I can tell none of the 14 babies from either litter were ever named, or at least there were no posts or announcements with their names after they were born. 

The boys were found with several other pigs in a large field that was full of dead brush and dirt - the animals living there had literally eaten every single bit of vegetation available, and then after that had to eat the dead bodies of other animals in that field that they once knew in order to continue surviving. 

These two boys were taken in by Eileen of The Troll House Animal Sanctuary (@thetrollhousesanctuary) and arrived on the night of July 28, 2022. They were both in sad shape being malnourished, small for their age, sunburned and emaciated but had bloated bellies. Fortunately both of them were already neutered, which was one less expense for their new caretakers. After their arrival they received vet care, food, water, shelter, vaccinations and were also dewormed. Eileen named them Laurel & Hardy, suggested by a friend. Laurel & Hardy are a duo from the 20's-50's that started in the silent film era and were famous for their "slapstick" style of comedy. They had a TV show that Eileen loved to watch as a child via reruns, and she even owned Laurel & Hardy dolls that she would sleep with! Considering all of this, they seemed like very fitting names and adopting these boys to Troll House seemed like the perfect fit. 

The boys are trauma bonded with each other after all that they have been through, but they're doing so well and enjoying their lives. They love to eat pumpkins, leafy greens, frozen baby carrots, corn puffs, and pig feed (though sometimes Hardy will choose ice over his water, lol). They have their own space that recently got a makeover where they can stretch out, sunbathe, root in the dirt, lay in the hay, snuggle each other, and play. They also enjoy showing off their creative sides with painting projects (no, really!). They're talkative, very opinionated and so sweet. 

Please give @thetrollhousesanctuary a follow on Instagram to watch Laurel, Hardy, and all of the other animals live their happy lives. If you'd like to make a donation to the boys' care, you can use Venmo (TTHAS) or CashApp (TrollHouse). You can also send them something from their Amazon Wishlist, Chewy Wishlist, or Tractor Supply Co Wishlist. To make a monthly donation, you can also join their Patreon for any amount. Currently they have a GoFundMe going for an expansion project and they are *almost* at goal - please help them get there! The project is to to expand Laurel and Hardy’s yard and to create a new yard for pigs Christopher and Tommy. Troll House also has adorable merchandise for sale on their website and Bonfire, and you can even purchase cute tees, tanks, and sweatshirts with a Laurel & Hardy design! Another way to support them is to vote for Troll House to share a $500,000 grant from My Giving Circle. Laurel & Hardy have sponsors already, but if you'd like to sponsor one of their other pigs, please contact Troll House Animal Sanctuary on Instagram about Wendy, Tigerlily (2 of the newest rescues), Thelma, Louise, or Black Betty.

We're so happy and grateful that these two survived, were rescued, and get to live out their lives at a legit sanctuary, but we mourn the loss of the mothers and any siblings that didn't make it. 

Please give Laurel & Hardy some love in the comments below! Or since they are named after a comedy duo, maybe they would also appreciate a few jokes...

 

Thank you for being here, and please stay tuned to see whose story is next! 

 

**Originally I posted that OJ and Pearlie Mae had died as they were not on the list of survivors, but I found out after this story was published that they are both fine and are currently living at a sanctuary that wanted to remain anonymous. 

 

Also:

Please continue to share the petition - Ashley DiFelice's next court date is THIS WEEK (September 14th), and since the court is aware of the petition and the comment section we'd like to get as many signatures and comments on it as possible before then.

According to their site, "at 15,000 signatures this petition becomes one of the top signed on change.org".

Thank you!