SaveBabe.com // Pro Pig Kids!

Pro Pig Kids! Want to know a secret? Many adults don’t know a real lot about pigs! They think that they are dirty and greedy animals – and they couldn’t be more wrong! Yes, pigs sometimes wallow in mud because it helps their pale skin from getting sunburnt. If there is no fresh water to bathe in , mud also helps them to cool off. You see, unlike us, pigs don’t perspire, so they have to find other ways to help stay cool on hot day.
	Pigs are also remarkably intelligent animals. In fact many experts say that pigs are as smart as dogs! And unlike many other species of animals (including us!) pigs will never overeat. They are definitely not greedy!
Guess which part of a pigs body gets the most use? Their nose! Or snout as we refer to it in pig terms! Pig snouts are very sensitive much like our hands are! Pigs use their snouts to dig and find food. One of their favourite past times is nosing around in the soil trying to find a tasty root to eat.
Just like our mums, mother pigs, called sows, care for and teach their piglets. Mother pigs can have up to 12 piglets, so there are plenty of brothers and sisters to play with. Pigs love to be outdoors, exploring and investigating as they are very inquisitive and curious animals.

Now for the sad bit…. You knew it was coming didn’t you since our website is called SaveBabe.com!
	In 1995 a magical movie was made called Babe in Australia. The star of the movie was a gorgeous piglet called ‘Babe’ and movie goers around the world fell in love with Babe and her adventures with her barnyard pals and Farmer Hoggett whom she lived with. ‘Babe’ helped adults see pigs differently. With the help of a little movie magic ‘Babe’ could speak and so they were able to understand her and celebrate Babe’s happy times and sympathise with her struggles.
For a time around the world, people thought about pigs differently and saw them for the beautiful creatures that they are. But memories fade… and ‘Babe’ and her kind has gone back to just being pork, ham and bacon on supermarket shelves, instead of a living, breathing feeling animal that shares our world with us. Sometimes adults think that we are different to other animals and that they don’t need the same things we do.

So what do we have in common?

Lots! We breathe the same air through our ‘noses’, we all need to eat food and drink water, we all like to shelter from the sun if it is too hot, and the rain and wind when it is cold.

We all like to play with members of our own species, we have families, we all like to be happy and content, we all like to be able to run around and play… and you know what else…?

We all feel pain. We can all break bones, we all bruise if we bump into something, and if we cut ourselves we all bleed.
	Sadly, in Australia many thousands of pigs don’t have the opportunity to live outdoors; instead they are kept inside sheds. They are kept in tiny pens where they are hardly able to move and don’t have the opportunity to snout in the ground, explore or feel the sun on their backs.

Mums and kids aren’t allowed to play together.
They are kept this way so that they will produce as many piglets as possible for farmers to sell. These animals are then killed to make pork, bacon and ham.

At SaveBabe.com we believe that animals are no different to us, that they deserve to be treated kindly, always, because unlike us, and ‘Babe’ in the movie, they can’t ask for help when they need it. They rely on us to care for them and understand their needs.

Why? Sometimes we forget that animals can suffer just like us. Sometime we forget that when they wake up each day, just like us, they need something to do and look forward to just like us. Sometimes we forget that caring about their needs is more important than making money.

Watch some videos! See 'Bella's Journey' and 'Wilbur & Charlotte's Web'

Do you live in Victoria? You can meet Wilbur 'in person'!

You can help these animals!

Encourage your family and friends to visit SaveBabe.com to learn more about these beautiful animals and the lives that they lead in Australia. The more people who know, the more people who will want to help!

Why not set up a 'Pro Pig Kids' club at school - contact us to order stickers and leaflets. You can see all of campaign downloads here, and if you have a MySpace or Facebook page please include a link to this website and our videos on your site!

And don't forget to make the Pro Pig Pledge! Make the kind decision to have pigs as friends—not food!

Links:

> Animal Club
Get active in your school! See Voiceless' Animal Club website to find out how you and your school can win fantastic prizes for helping animals!

> Campaign Resources
Order your free action pack and download campaign materials