Luna’s rescue started with a neighbour’s question: would the sanctuary like to buy her young pig?

Luna was seven months old, sick with something her owner couldn’t identify or treat. Riza doesn’t buy animals — paying for one life funds the suffering of the next. The answer was no. But the question had opened a door.

We arranged a visit with a vet. What we found was a tiny concrete stall, too narrow for Luna’s growing body. The floor had deformed her feet, leaving her with arthritis she would carry for the rest of her life. She was young, already in pain, and fifteen days away from slaughter.

With patience, care, and the help of extraordinary volunteers, the sanctuary convinced her owner to surrender Luna into their care. Fifteen days. That’s how close it was.

Today, Luna is the undisputed queen of the sanctuary. She has opinions about everything, and she’s not shy about sharing them — especially when lunch is running late. In winter, she receives supplements and medication to manage her arthritis. On warm days, she can be found in the mud bath, demanding attention, preferably food-related.

She found her family at Riza: Louro, Frederico, and Alfazema. Luna is not a symbol. She is simply herself — loud, particular, a little demanding, and entirely her own.