Maggie and Peyton, rescued potbellied pigs, are now safely in Mack, Colorado, along with a tiny surprise guest – a piglet named Napoleon.

“He’s our hitchhiker,” says Yvonne McIntosh, manager of Best Friends’ Piggy Paradise, where potbellies live on the sanctuary grounds.

Napoleon, three weeks old and weighing just three pounds, was included in McIntosh’s recent trek to Pig-A-Sus Homestead Sanctuary, which agreed to take all three.

“Maggie and Peyton slept the whole trip from Las Vegas up to Best Friends’ sanctuary,” says Crystal KimHan, who rescued Maggie and Peyton through Vegas Pig Pets, her home-based organization.

To continue the longer leg of the trip to Colorado with two adult pigs, KimHan needed a trailer. So McIntosh arranged it, did the driving herself, and supplied a truck and trailer with crates the pigs could walk in and out of. There was also lots of cushy straw in their crates and all around the trailer, and blanket covering the crates to shield them from the wind – all to make the ride as comfortable as possible for Maggie and Peyton. KimHan underwrote the cost of the trip.

Napoleon rode up-front with McIntosh and KimHan. “‘He’s still being hand-fed formula,” KimHan says. “He’s very cute.”

Having Napoleon along was one of those last-minute requests that KimHan couldn’t have predicted. When she was asked a day before she was to leave for Best Friends to take in a newborn piglet whose five siblings had been crushed by their mother and father, she called Sioux Robbins, who runs Pig-A-Sus. “She said, ‘Bring him too,’” KimHan says.

As for three-year-old Maggie, she found herself homeless when her previous people’s house went into foreclosure. And Peyton, who is about seven, was rescued from a dog-fighting ring, where she was used as bait. “Her injuries – a partially caved-in head and a bitten-off ear – weren’t caused by humans,” says KimHan.

But those bleak days are behind all three. Now, they’re safely ensconced at Robbins’ pig sanctuary, where the focus is care, health and education of potbellied pigs.

Helping the pigs get to a safe environment is a part of Best Friends’ mission of No More Homeless Pets – regardless of species.

“It was in our neighborhood, so to speak,” McIntosh says. “We’re located between Nevada and Colorado. We help the pig community whenever we can.”

Written by Cathy Scott
Photos by Molly Wald

As part of Best Friends’ 25th anniversary in 2009, our goal is to double our membership, so we can double our efforts to bring about a time when all companion animals have a forever home. What can you do to help? Give the Gift of a Best Friends membership to family and friends.

March 9, 2009 : 10:43 PM ET
posted by: nicole

In order to fight BSL (banning of pit bulls) - please click use the following link. The message goes direct to President Obama and your elected officials.

http://www.rallycongress.com/stop-breed-banning-/1584/stop-breed-banning-now/

March 7, 2009 : 3:07 PM ET
posted by: crystaldal1

I would just like to thank Yvonne and Best Friends for the support in getting Maggie, Peyton & Napoleon (now re-named Tobias) to Pigasus in Colorado! Some pigs are not "pet" material and it's these Sanctuaries, like Best Friends and Pigasus, that step up and help! I hope we can each spread the word that we need every pet lover to advocate the spaying/neutering of pigs for pets as there is too many abandoned, abused and unwanted pigs, as there is dogs & cats. But, if a breeder is going to breed and sell, be responsible and spay/neuter those pets before selling them! Not only does it decrease the unwanted pet population, but in pigs, it greatly improves their temperament and health problems when they get older! As for this piglet, as per the article, he was rescued from a Vegas "Sanctuary" that breeds their animals there and we need to stop this irresponsible behavior! Like Yvonne says, she's stamping out Pignorance, one pig at a time, please... let's all be advocates in anyway we can to protect our animal friends that gives us so much in return! Again, thank you to all who helped get these special pigs to Pigasus in Colorado where they can live happily every after... finally! Crystal / Vegaspigpets.org

March 5, 2009 : 6:00 AM ET
posted by: catdoglover

i would really like to take in a pig but i know they need special diets & exercise & i would need to be equiped. i can admire from a distance. napolean you look like a little sweetheart, have a wonderful life in colorado. the piggy sanctuary sounds magnificant!!

March 4, 2009 : 2:43 PM ET
posted by: yvonnem

Napolean is indeed cute but it wasn't that hard for me to resist...I remember what Sprocket and Harley were like as babies, how much work they were and they weren't even this young when they arrived!

Peyton, the piggy with the injuries will be the ambassador for the group of folks that are recovering from head injuries that visits Pigasus regularly. Napolean will be working with autistic childern thru Sioux's place. Maggie, to me, seems like our Daphne...outgoing and a riot.

Pot bellied pigs and piglets are infact used for bait in any area of our country where there is dog fighting. Also, there are "piggy mills" the same way there are puppy mills so it's important for all of us to do what we can to help put a stop to all of the mills, needless breeding, dog fighting and any other form of animal cruelty we can. It will take some time but look at the progress so far...we all have to stay focused on making changes and stay posistive...the animals NEED us!

Colleen...I wasn't in Vegas otherwise I'd have visited, Crystal drove up here!

March 4, 2009 : 1:14 PM ET
posted by: cambridgeratmom

Animal fights are horrible things. The "latest" (and it's actually been going on for years is trunking, where two dogs are put in the trunk of a car to fight it out to the death. They turn the music up real loud, drive around, and look to see who survived. It's practically impossible to expose, catch, find, for obvious reasons. I write this, not to upset you, but to let you know that there is no end to the sickness of some people toward animals.

So, for this one sweet pig, it's safety at last.

March 4, 2009 : 12:37 AM ET
posted by: cwiley

Yvonne! You were here in Vegas and didn't stop by to say Hi, or ask me to assist with these piggies?? Shame on you! But good on you guys for helping those poor babies! Hugs to all. :-) Colleen

March 3, 2009 : 7:47 PM ET
posted by: roxee

I bet it was really hard for Yvonne to resist Napoleon, but I'm sure Sprocket and Harley would've been SO jealous. How cute the piggies are. I'm so thankful to Yvonne, Kim and all the wonderful people rescuing those wonderful pot-bellied piggies.

Keep those piggy updates comming. I'm head over heels in love with them.

March 3, 2009 : 4:31 PM ET
posted by: donnatoepfer

What a little sweetie pie - I just love pigs.

I would like to see all people involved in dog fighting put in jail, hefty fines and then required to pay for the health and well-being of all the animals that were rescued from their property, instead of child support they can pay animal support without any visitation rights of course.

March 3, 2009 : 4:23 PM ET
posted by: skya

That's about the cutest little oinker I've ever seen!

Pigs are used for bait animals? I would think a pig could inflict a little damage when under attack. Either way, it's totally sickening. Thank you for saving these intelligent animals. >^..^<

March 3, 2009 : 4:10 PM ET
posted by: catdoglover

OMG what an adorable piggy! Such a cute face. They are lucky pigs.

Thank you for helping them.

March 3, 2009 : 2:52 PM ET
posted by: luvthemall309

Just last night there was a rescue of dogs from a dog fighting ring in suburban chicago. What is truly frightening to me is when I hear people like Geraldo Rivera say on his show that Michael Vick should be allowed to return to professional football because Vick did his "time". Geraldo's blase' attitude toward the horrific cruelty brought upon those poor dogs by Vick is alarming to me. Even if one is not a dog lover, the torture and abuse of those poor creatures should make anyone who is human feel nothing but disgust and want the perpetrator of that abuse not be allowed to return to a profession that would make him a "hero" or a role model for children. I can only surmise that Geraldo never heard or read of the atrocities Vick perpetrated on those innocent animals. I think if he did, he would have a different view--I don't know. Thank you Crystal for saving those sweet innocent piggies. You are an angel!!!

March 3, 2009 : 2:31 PM ET
posted by: pawsitive

Don't know how Pig-a-Sus could have resisted little Napoleon. He's adorable. Yvonne your efforts to help the pigs is a blessing. I know I have learned so much about pigs from you and certainly have a different view of these magnificant animals. Pigs rock!

March 3, 2009 : 2:07 PM ET
posted by: jbandk9s

Many thanks to Crystal and everyone who helped these pigs. You took my breath away when you told me that a pig would be used as bait for fighting dogs. Horrifying thought. All these stories make me re-double my efforts to do everything I can think of to prompt my legislators to work towards zero-tolerance to the scum of the earth that fight dogs.