A pig in peril – that’s a job for APLNJ !

Elmo 

Among the many things animal activists do, saving a life must rank as a “biggie,” if not the biggest. How satisfying: to know that because of your efforts, a sentient being is still alive today. 

Not only a sentient being, but a very large one too – about 900 pounds worth. A sizable hog and former resident of Holmdel’s Longstreet Living History Farm, Elmo was not just threatened with slaughter last month, but he had already been transported to the site where it would happen.

That’s how close he came to death. And why?  Basically because he wasn’t needed anymore. He could no longer be bred, so his “job” at Longstreet Farm was gone and he had to go too. 

Today, Elmo is alive and well at Associated Humane Societies in Tinton Falls because of a lifesaving intervention by Animal Protection League of NJ. Organization supporters phoned, wrote and/or went to Longstreet Farm, then to the “living market” (slaughter site) in Marlboro, to save the six-year old pig.

Tipped off to the deadly plan for Elmo only the evening before, APLNJ programs director Janine Motta appealed for help to counter it – and volunteers came through. (All in a day’s work for Motta, with her finger on many pulses around the state and her commitment to animals in need wherever she learns of them.) 

  

No argument: Alexus, Audra, Laurie, Lorelle, Marissa, Phyllis and Suzanne – who joined Motta for a rescue early the next morning -- were true friends of animals. Despite arriving before the farm opened, they learned Elmo was already en route . . . to death.  At that, half the rescuers hurried to Marlboro.  

Talks that followed led to the park system’s finally agreeing to allow Elmo’s move to a safe place where he won’t be exploited or threatened with death. Next, APL plans to talk with park officials about Longstreet Farm’s practice of breeding animals, only to send the unwanted, older, "useless" animals to slaughter. “Elmo’s scenario” will no doubt occur again to chickens, horses, cows, sheep. . . . 

(BTW, this practice may be common at other NJ living history farms. Why not just show modern people how farming worked long ago, but waive the historical accuracy when it comes to slaughtering the animals who were part of the re-enaction? A tip of the figurative hat – and coverage here—to whoever finds out how many such farms there are in NJ, where live animals are also used – and in jeopardy.)

As Motta said in her follow-up note to APL volunteers: “How many times have you been told ‘You can't save all the animals in the world’? Well, today your actions made a world of difference for this one animal! Thank you.”  

Second the motion.

Steps for publishing comments 

A couple posts ago when I mentioned an easier way to comment here, I erred in referring to “anyone” instead of “anonymous.” Here’s how the whole commenting process works:

If you’ve read a post and have something to say about it, simply scroll down to the end and click on the word “comments.” Then in the box under “Post a comment,” type your message. Next, click “select profile” next to “Comment as,” and you’ll see “Anonymous” as the last option. If you click on it, that’s the only “name” that will show with your comment.

Right above “Anonymous” is “Name/URL” – the 2^nd way to comment without identifying yourself any more than you want to. Click “Name/URL,” and fill in any name you wish -- your own, in whole or part, or a made-up name. (Leave URL blank.)

Finally, “Preview” your comment if desired, and click “Publish.” That’s it.  

I hope you'll give commenting another try.    

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