Rescued roadside piglet thrives at Warwickshire animal sanctuary

Tom, a piglet found by the roadside after apparently falling from a transport trailer, has been rescued and adopted by an animal sanctuary. His survival and recovery matter because he was discovered on his way to a slaughterhouse, barely a day old and vulnerable, and has since grown into a well-cared-for companion.

Sanctuary owner Carole Webb, an 82-year-old retired veterinary nurse, took Tom in after a member of the public kept him warm overnight. She hand-reared him indoors with heat pads and hot water bottles; six months later, the Large White pig weighs an estimated 150 to 200kg and roams a three-acre field in Wolverton, Warwickshire. He lives alongside chickens and cats, enjoys cuddly toys and belly rubs, and comes when called.