One of the reasons Pigtopia is here today, and our mission statement is "A better world for pigs & people through compassion" is because of my friend Amber Dawn. On October 23, 2020, she lost her life to domestic violence. She was murdered by her abuser.
In life, Amber rescued and fostered hundreds of animals. She had dogs, cats, birds, and 8 pigs. Even in leaving this world, she helps others by giving her last and greatest gift: life to 5 people on a transplant list. She lives on in them, and leaves an incredible legacy of compassion.
Amber Dawn
After her death, I became aware of women experiencing domestic violence that were unable to leave their homes for various reasons - one being not having somewhere safe for their beloved pet pig to go while they got away, which means they were faced with staying or with leaving their pig behind with their abuser. Statistics tell us that abusers use pets to manipulate and control, and over 70% of pets are also subject to neglect or abuse.
A pig is an unconventional pet. They’re emotional beings, often misunderstood and not suitable for apartments or the temporary living situations that can come with escaping danger and starting over. They’re also the 4th smartest mammal on the planet, and are capable of deep empathy, often experiencing trauma alongside their owner that lingers on for years.
I learned that there are programs in place to house dogs and cats for women in cases like this until they get back on their feet, but to my knowledge, there is nothing like that specifically for pigs.
When your life and spirit are being destroyed by abuse, often the only joy and hope you can have comes from the pet that comforts you while you cry, knows all your secrets, accepts and loves you exactly as you are, and quietly sits with you in your darkest hours. When a woman leaves an abusive and dangerous situation, she’s faced with the possibility of giving up almost everything. The home, money, vehicles, and possessions are all used to control her and must be left behind to escape. She shouldn’t have to give up her best friend, too.
Pigtopia is committed to making a difference in honor of Amber’s memory. If just one life can be changed or saved, it will be worth it.
Our mission is to partner with women’s shelters and advocacy groups to be available to house a victim’s pig/s until she gets back on her feet. We are building a shelter and enclosure specifically for this purpose, dedicated to giving hope to victims, stability to their pig, and a happy reunion when they are ready to get their best friend back. This safe place for pigs is called Amber’s Refuge, to honor the memory of an incredibly smart, beautiful, compassionate and witty woman whose life was taken away far too soon.
Our tagline is Lift Her Voice, which represents our responsibility to support women without judgment, to honor every life of those suffering in silence, and lend hope and help whenever and however we can.
In 2022, we received a life altering grant to fund the construction of Amber’s Refuge from Red Rover through their Safe Housing Grant fund.
This funding enabled us to immediately build an enclosure ready for fostering pigs and will continue to support us in this important work. Read the story HERE
Bonnie’s incredible journey across Scotland raised Amber’s Refuge $6,205.74!
We are eternally grateful to Bonnie for her generosity of spirit, determination and support of our mission. Be sure to follow her MY rescued pigs page every year as she hikes for a worthy cause!
