Newtown Bee readers who have been following the journey of Yorkshire Cross pigs Little Beanie Tofu and Dolphin may remember how they came to town in 2018.

They were born the previous year in a college agricultural program where they were being raised by students to be auctioned and sold for meat consumption.

However, as the “Young Pigs Rescued From Being Slaughtered Get Second Chance On Life” article chronicled, the two very fortunate pigs were able to be saved from certain death.

Classmates Madilyn Cole and Zack Clyne were able to purchase the pigs and bring them to Cole’s home in Newtown where her family cared for them. At the time they were about seven months old and just over 200 pounds.

The pigs’ time in Newtown was always meant to be temporary as everyone hoped one day they would find their forever home at a sanctuary where they would be loved and cared for their whole lives.

Then-Newtown residents Oscar Janssen and Lynn Printy heard about Little Beanie Tofu and Dolphin and were gracious enough to adopt them.

The couple founded JP Farm Animal Sanctuary and expanded their ability to help more animals when they moved to a larger property in Litchfield, Conn.

Cole’s family threw Little Beanie Tofu and Dolphin a celebratory Pig Party in August 2019 with all the people who helped them on their journey as a way to say thank you. The Newtown Bee was there to capture that special moment in time with the article “Community Of Compassion Seen At Celebratory Pig Party.”

Soon after Little Beanie Tofu and Dolphin were off to JP Farm Animal Sanctuary where they had room to run and play.

Growing Girls

Today, Little Beanie Tofu and Dolphin are 5 years old and are still a very bonded pair.

Printy says that Dolphin is “the boss” in every scenario, but that Little Beanie Tofu can be too, just to a lesser extent.

They each have grown significantly since being in Newtown and now weigh roughly 1,000 pounds. In addition to their daily meals, they love munching on peanuts, dried corn on the cob, watermelon, and pumpkins.

In the pig barn, they have the company of fellow pigs DJ — who they love to snuggle with in a pig pile, Mozza, and new residents Pepper and Shirley. Their neighbors up the hill include multiple cows, chickens and roosters, a vivacious turkey named Ronnie, and dogs Oliver and Ace.

JP Farm Animal Sanctuary Farm Manager Britt Janssen said that by far Little Beanie Tofu and Dolphin’s favorite activity is rooting. The instinctive behavior involves pigs uses their snout to push or nudge the ground repeatedly.

“Also, they love sleeping and eating,” Britt said.

In the nice weather, the pigs stroll the property and explore. They also have access to a pond that they enjoy in the summertime to get muddy and refreshed.

One thing the pig sisters, particularly Dolphin, are not a fan of is getting their hooves trimmed.

Printy shared, “We just bought a pig lift … that equipment is very expensive. We will be using it to do their nails. Right now, they need to be done very badly.”

She noted that donations to the sanctuary are greatly appreciated, because it allows them to continuing giving the best care for the animals and getting them the resources they need.

Importance Of Veganism

While JP Farm Animal Sanctuary staff and volunteers work every day to make their corner of the world a better place for animals, they also are active in spreading the word about how others can make a positive difference for animals in their lives.

“It is important to know about veganism,” Britt said.

Veganism is defined by The Vegan Society as “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practicable — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”

Part of the mission for JP Farm Animal Sanctuary is to promote veganism.

Britt explained, “These animals were bred for food, so their organs, their limbs, and their joints can’t support their bodies, because they were supposed to go to slaughter at 200 pounds and now they’re 1,000. No wonder they are having, not only, hip, joint, and foot issues, but even Cornell [University] and all the great hospitals don’t know exactly why and what to do for them, because there is not a lot of research.”

She continued, “These animals are being engineered for food and every year they are doing it more and more, so now the pigs have an extra rib that they normally didn’t and more teats to have more babies … this is not normal. It’s not natural.”

As a result, JP Farm Animal Sanctuary collaborates with other sanctuaries to share information, Britt said. Doing so helps give these rescued animals the best chance to live without pain caused from the hands of human engineering.

Britt says that pigs usually go to slaughter at roughly six months old but can live on average 10 to 12 years when given the freedom to survive.

Printy said, “We know that we cannot save all the animals, so for us we know that the agricultural system is horrific for animals, it’s bad for the planet, and it’s bad for people. But people still continue it for financial reasons.”

Veganism helps work to stop the systematic oppression and destruction.

Their mission is to help educate people through a lens of kindness and not condemn people for their current lifestyle.

“No one wants to be judged or feel badly about themselves. We want to inspire compassionate living,” Britt said.

If people wish to reach out to the sanctuary, they can recommend recipes, media, and more to help people on their journey to veganism.

JP Farm Animal Sanctuary frequently partners with other organizations in the vegan space, including Trupo Treats that “veganize” popular chocolate bars and Vegancuts that is an award-winning subscription box service for beauty items and food.

JP Farm Animal Sanctuary just finished its events for the year with its annual ThanksLiving gathering honoring Ronnie the turkey. More events and tours will be available in spring of 2023.

To learn more about JP Farm Animal Sanctuary and donate to help the animals, visit jpfarmsanctuary.org. Gift certificates to Amazon and Tractor Supply are also appreciated. Stay up-to-date on Little Beanie Tofu and Dolphin on Facebook at @jpfarmsanctuary and Instagram @jpfarmanimalsanctuary.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.