Eleanor is our oldest resident at the sanctuary and is our matriarch. She was rescued from an extreme neglect case, where she was found starving, alone in a concrete pen, living in her own waste. Her owner had already starved two of his horses and a pig to death and was doing the same to Eleanor (we don't know why). Luckily, Eleanor was noticed by a woman who began bringing her food scraps and was eventually able to rescue her.
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Eleanor's body tells stories-- she has shredded ears, either from a common farm procedure called ear notching or a dog attack (or both); her tail was cut off in another common procedure called tail docking. Both are common practice done at farms without anesthesia. We were told that Eleanor was bred repeatedly and her babies were sold for profit. The space she was being kept in all those years was just big enough for her to turn around in, with little to no protection from the elements or her own feces. Her skin is sensitive and has chronic scabbing and issues that we suspect originate from her earlier years.
 
Despite all that Eleanor has gone through, she is the most affectionate pig. She has an open heart, with only love to give to all who visit her at the sanctuary. She has become best friends with Haku. They cuddle every night! Eleanor is the queen and bosses Haku around, which means she gets first dibs on papayas! She has to have a home-made sunscreen applied to her every few days to protect her fair skin from the sun. She is a gentle giant and enjoys meeting visitors, young and old, on sanctuary tours. She loves belly rubs. Of note: she doesn't enjoy Yoru much, as Yoru is often coming into her personal space and chasing her out of her resting spots.
 
We feel very blessed to get to care for Eleanor and experience the joy she brings all of us.