More than 60 pigs rescued from a hoarding situation in Rostraver are being rehabbed at a Frazer farm.
Blue Martin, owner of Pigsburgh Squealers Rescue on Lampus Lane, said she couldn’t turn away the neglected animals despite knowing the decision will cost more than $60,000.
Already, she has spent $6,500 on fencing to quarantine the new arrivals and another $12,000 on shelter.
Spays and neuters will cost $300 to $600 each. Then there’s food and medicine to consider.
“It was something we had to do,” she said. “The person who had them let them breed knowingly. She didn’t fix them, and she didn’t separate them. There are piglets being born that are inbred and sickly, and some of them already passed. It’s rough.”
Martin, a biomedical engineer by day, runs a 25-acre nonprofit no-kill pig rescue where abandoned or abused pigs can find forever homes. The Squealers have saved 414 pigs since 2016. There already were 50 pigs on site before last week’s unexpected influx.
Rostraver police in early June seized more than 80 pigs from what they described as a home with horrific filth along Adams Drive. Officers originally visited the property owned by Wendi Kraemer, who also uses the last name Garza, 59, for escalating reports by neighbors of a rat infestation in the neighborhood off Route 51.
Rostraver police Chief Scott Sokol told TribLive at the time that Kraemer’s “place was filthy. There were flies stuck on the wall and the (officers) reported horrific conditions. It was just a level of filth that’s unimaginable.”
Officers also rescued multiple dogs and cats from the home.
“The pigs were living inside and outside the house, and fighting for space and food,” Martin said.
“Thankfully, it’s nice out and we have the property. We just had to get the fence up.”
She said volunteers turned out last week to help construct a 1-acre pen and erect 900 feet of fencing.
“Pigs are strong and very smart,” she said. “You can’t used rolled wire or chain link. It has to be sturdy.”
The Squealers have been able to raise enough money through fundraisers to pay for the initial fencing. The group is offering tours and other events, like the upcoming Swine and Unwind Pig Yoga on July 4, to help offset further costs.
Of the 60-plus pigs that came to her from the police seizure, only two were fixed, Martin said.
It is her policy to spay or neuter every pig before they are fostered or adopted. The cost for the rescues to have surgery will be upward of $40,000, she said.
“It’s one thing when animal rescues fall on hard times,” Martin said. “That’s upsetting enough, but this person knowingly let them breed, and that’s 100% on her.”
Martin’s group is working through a list of potential fosters for adult and baby pigs.
Anyone interested must have a fenced space in their yard and must check with their municipality to make sure pigs are allowed. They also must live within two hours of Pittsburgh.
Martin said the work involved with the rescue is tiring but successful because of the community support.
“This is not convenient,” she said. “It’s been tough, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without the help.”
A preliminary hearing for a public nuisance charge against Kraemer is scheduled July 13.
In the meantime, Kraemer’s home was condemned. Township officials filed two citations related to what they described as unsanitary conditions and an infestation.
The township is offering free rat bait and traps to neighbors.
Anyone interested in donating to Pigsburgh Squealers Rescue can visit pigsburghsquealers.com. In addition to monetary donations, people can book tours of the Frazer pig rescue or attend events, like the upcoming Pastures & Perches Bird Walk on June 27 or the Swine & Unwind Pig Yoga on July 4.