Abandoned pigs get a second chance at Upstate sanctuary
Just outside of the town of Honea Path lies Second Hand Sanctuary, a nonprofit animal rescue owned by husband-and-wife Justin Smith and Valerie Bartlett.
The 10-acre property serves as a home for over 100 pigs of various breeds and ranging in size from small piglets to 900-pound pigs.
Getting started
Second Hand Sanctuary was founded by Smith and Bartlett in 2018 at their Marietta residence after Bartlett received a piglet named Ollie as a birthday present and learned how often pigs are abandoned.
“We purchased Ollie, not realizing that there were so many pigs out there in need of homes,” said Bartlett, who also owns The Spice & Tea Exchange of Greenville. “People get it in their heads that they want a pig because there’s really nothing cuter than a piglet, but they grow up and you don’t know how big they’re going to get. Breeders unscrupulously will tell people that they’ll stay 30 pounds, and they’ll show them a set a parents, but what you don’t see is the fact that the parents are only a year old themselves and pigs don’t stop growing until they are 5.”
After having Ollie for around two months, Smith received a call about a pig running down Poinsett Highway around Labor Finders in Greenville.
“He went over there after work and he found Archie in the parking lot underneath one of the cars,” Barlett said. “A couple of the guys were standing around and said he’d been hit by a car, but Justin scooped him up, put him in the front seat of his car and brought him home. Archie was our first rescue.”
Continuing to grow
After rescuing Archie, Bartlett and Smith met a woman in Campobello who rescued pigs. They visited her place and fell in love with the idea of helping these animals.
As part of the rescue community, Second Hand Sanctuary began receiving calls from local animal shelters such as Greenville County Animal Care. Smith and Bartlett would respond to the calls and bring the surrendered pigs to their home.
The couple would also pick up pigs that needed to be rehomed due to city ordinances not allowing livestock or the animal growing too large to stay in its current residence.
Eventually, the nonprofit sanctuary outgrew its location in Marietta and relocated to Honea Path in fall 2024.
A mission to educate
In addition to rescuing pigs, Smith and Barlett work to educate the public about the animals, the care they need, and local laws regarding livestock ownership by participating in community events, hosting private tours and visiting local schools.
“We bring pigs to schools and talk to kids about pigs,” said Smith. “In some areas, baby piglets are going for $3,000 and $4,000 apiece, and … we get the community a little bit more aware that they are not just animals that everyone can buy.”
Outside of community outreach, Second Hand Sanctuary is seeking grassroots donations and volunteer support to continue welcoming and caring for the animals living in the refuge. For more information, visit secondhandsanctuary.org.
Upstate area pig sanctuaries and rescues
- Second Hand Sanctuary, Honea Path, secondhandsanctuary.org
- Masters Never End’n Farm & Rescue, Simpsonville, mastersneverendnfarm.com
- Fat Bottoms Pig Sanctuary, Fair Play, fatbottomspigsanctuary.com
- Frog Song Farm Sanctuary, Hodges, frogsongfarmsanctuary.org
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