Piggins and Banks is not your typical animal rescue organization. While many animal rescue organizations eventually rehome their animals, Piggins and Banks provide their rescued pigs (and other animals) with a forever home at their sanctuary in northwest Virginia.
It all started with Aaron and Christie Riddle, who hoped to find a pet for their young daughters. The family wasn’t quite ready for a puppy. Eventually, they decided that a pet pig would be a great way to teach their children to care for animals. The Riddle family brought Rosie into their lives and quickly learned how smart and special pigs are.
Goin’ Hog Wild
Over the course of the next few years, the Riddles got lots of new pig friends for Rosie. By 2019, they had six piggies and another great idea: raising a piglet as a certified therapy animal.
Enter Mary Piggins.
The Riddle family raised and trained Mary Piggins to be a certified therapy animal. This allowed them to take her to local organizations to teach people how emotionally expressive and intelligent pigs are. It wasn’t until the Riddle family decided to find a third pig to train as a certified therapy animal that the idea of a pig sanctuary entered their minds. The family began training Mr. Banks alongside Mary Piggins.
While raising and working with their pigs, the Riddle family learned something else: that many pigs face a heartbreaking reality of abandonment, neglect, slaughter, and more.
Kind of a Pig Deal: Piggins and Banks is Founded
Determined to make a difference, they started Piggins and Banks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to pig rescue. They have rescued more than 60 pigs, providing them with a loving and safe environment where they can live out their lives in peace.
Running and maintaining the sanctuary wouldn’t be possible without financial support. As such, the main fundraising objective of Piggins and Banks is to create a sustainable way for their supporters to engage with the sanctuary while ensuring its fundraising efforts reflect their projected needs plus a little cushion for unexpected expenses.
Pig-ture Perfect
Piggins and Banks’ success is due in part to their dedication to pig welfare. But, it’s also due to their savvy use of GiveWP to connect and engage supporters around the furry friends that inhabit the sanctuary.
We were lucky enough to work with Piggins and Banks to create a case study about their fundraising needs and the solutions: a recurring donation sponsorship program.
An Epig Future for Piggins and Banks
There’s still much work to be done. Piggins and Banks’ mission is not just about rescuing pigs but also about raising awareness of pig welfare and changing people’s perceptions of pigs. With their commitment and dedication, they are inspiring others to make a difference in the lives of animals in need.
Piggins and Banks is making a real difference in pig welfare. Their mission to rescue and provide a forever home for pigs and raise awareness about these wonderful creatures is both inspiring and impactful.
Learn more about Piggins and Banks in our case study and how they make GiveWP work for their fundraising needs. Fill out the form below to download it now.
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