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Our Rehoming Process - Offering a Home

The following information explains our criteria for what we look for in a suitable home and our rehoming process. If you wish to offer any of the pigs on the list a home, or you wish to be notified of when other suitable pigs are listed, please read through the criteria and if you think you are a good fit, complete our Vetting form (linked to below). We recommend you print it off and keep it as checklist/to do list to refer to. If you have any questions about the process, please email our Rehoming Coordinator. 
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We look for:
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  • a pig area/s big enough for the pigs to have plenty of enrichment, with provision for winter with plans on how to manage when there is lots of mud! Ideally around half an acre per pig but less is ok if you can demonstrate their needs can be met. It doesn't have to all be available at the same time and can include hardstanding, indoor areas, rotational areas, etc.
  • as pigs need company of their own kind, we will only rehome to someone who already has pigs or who is willing to get another pig for company very soon.
  • stock-proof fencing.
  • in terms of a shelter, we don't recommend the metal arks because they get really cold in winter and don't offer much protection from the wind. As pigs are prone to arthritis, we recommend a wooden shelter that is off the ground. Preferably it would have a windbreak at the front, be reinforced with extra panelling inside for bad weather, and have ventilation at the top near the roof. If you look at our website you can see the shelters we use at the sanctuary. We are happy to advise further on this. If you have an ark we will accept it as a temporary measure, until you are able to provide a better long-term solution. 
  • Holding Number and Herdmark - legally you are required to have these to keep pigs. If you don't yet have them, that's ok we can advise on how to get them.
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You can find more details about what caring for pigs involves and what you need here: What a pig needs (please note we are still working on adding information to this page).
If you wish to offer a home for a pig:
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  1. Contact us on the email above including photos or videos of your set up and complete the Vetting form which you can find here , or we can email the link to you if you are having trouble downloading. Please include as much information as possible. We ask for your CPH (Holding) number. If you do not have this to hand, you can email this separately. If you do not have a CPH number it is vital that you get one sorted asap as this shows legally you are allowed to keep livestock on your land (pigs are classified as livestock even if they are a pet pig that lives in your garden). Details of how you can obtain one or how you can check what your number is can be found here. Please note that if the land is not at a residential/business address, you will need to provide a National Grid Field Number which can be found via Magic Maps. Defra advise that it normally takes 10 working days to receive a CPH number. However if the situation is urgent then it can be marked as a Critical Request and fast-tracked. We also recommend at this stage, if you are not already, getting yourself set up on the eAML system (or equivalent) which you will use to confirm the movement of the pig on to your site (see point 6). What's required and who to contact can vary between England, Scotland, Wales & NI so please do make sure you check the govt website pages on pig movements for your area.

  2. We will acknowledge receipt of the above and review the information you have provided as soon as possible. If we have any questions or need any further information we will let you know. We may also request a Home Check by one of our volunteers. Once we have fully assessed your application we will let you know the outcome. If we decide that your application is not suitable, we will, where appropriate, advise on what changes you need to make if you wish to be reconsidered.

  3. If your application is successful, we will discuss with the suitability of the pigs you are interested in from the list and/or recommend which ones would be a good match. If none of them are suitable, we will keep your details and notify you when new possible matches come up. We get notified of new pigs on at least a weekly basis so it is likely that you would not have long to wait.

  4. Once you have decided on a pig you like, we will contact the pig's family and give them an overview of your application. If they are happy with the details so far, we will then, with both your agreement, put you in contact with each other so that you can discuss in detail. You should ask questions to satisfy yourself that it will be a good match. You then need to let us know if you are happy to go ahead.

  5. If you wish to proceed, we will liaise with you both to agree a date and sort out transport arrangements. At this stage it is a good idea to give your address and holding details to the pig's current family as they will need these to apply for the Movement Licence mentioned in point 6. You should also sort out a Herd mark number if you do not have one already. To do this you simply need to contact the Animal and Plant Health Authority via the Defra Helpline, or equivalent for Scotland, Wales & NI, and provide your details - click here for further information. The APHA suggest that you contact them about a week before the pig/s arrive with you, though you can do it earlier or within 30 days of their arrival. Finally, if we are transporting and you will be bearing all or some of the cost, we will provide you with a quote. We will need agreement from you and/or the pig's family to pay these costs. Normally we expect the pig's family to pay most if not all of the costs but some times this may not be possible, e.g. the pig is coming from a rescue or been abandoned.

  6. The pig's family will now register the move on the eAML2 system (or equivalent) and apply for the Movement Licence. On the day of the move, if we are transporting and you are bearing some or all of the transport costs, you should have the cash ready to cover this which you can then give to the team when they arrive. If for some reason you are unable to pay at the time, we will arrange with you to collect payment within a week of the move. Once you have got the pig settled in you must then make sure that you confirm the pig's arrival on to your land using the eAML2 system (or equivalent) or via telephone/text details of which are here.

  7. Once the move has happened, we will contact you within a day or so to follow up. We will send you the link to donate to the Rehoming Fund where you can make your minimum £50 donation. If you have trouble with the site, just let us know and we will sort it out via another method. 

  8. We will share on Instagram and Facebook the move and any follow up as our supporters like to see what happens to the pigs we rehome. There will also be a short write up via our Rehoming Stories webpage.  If for any reason this would cause a problem, let us know. We do anonymize the stories but realise that on occasion that might not be enough.

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