Peggy, a potbellied pig, was discovered in September 2011 in Maryland after being abandoned in a fenced-in area of a park. A kind-hearted local resident found her and, with some coaxing, managed to trap her and bring her to a small “sanctuary” she believed could care for Peggy. It wasn’t long before Peggy gave birth to four piglets, and though the sanctuary provided basic needs, it soon became clear that Peggy’s well-being wasn’t fully being attended to. Two months later, Peggy went missing, and when she was finally found hiding in a shed, she was injured and in pain.

Despite pleas from volunteers to get Peggy the veterinary care she so desperately needed, the sanctuary’s owner refused to act. It wasn’t until a dedicated volunteer took matters into her own hands and, at her own expense, took Peggy to a vet that the extent of her injuries was revealed. X-rays showed that Peggy’s femur had been broken in three places, possibly from a mule kick, and she required extensive surgery to heal. After much persistence, Peggy was relinquished into the volunteer’s care, who brought her to Popcorn Park. Dr. Jonathan Bergmann and Dr. Kevin Simmons performed the intricate surgery at Popcorn Park, and Peggy underwent five weeks of rest followed by intensive rehabilitation to ensure a full recovery.