Volunteering is one of the most rewarding things you can do. You’re not paid for it, but instead get the satisfaction of helping others in return.
A popular focus of volunteering is with animals and the organizations that care for them.
Usually, when you imagine volunteering with animals, you think about the menial tasks.
Refilling food and water bowls, walking dogs, cleaning cages, etc.. They aren’t glamorous or necessarily fun, but you get to see cute animals all day.
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What a lot of people don’t realize is that beyond basic tasks, shelters and sanctuaries also need help socializing and comforting animals, since there are far more than the permanent staff can manage on their own.
Yes, “socializing and comforting” is just a fancy way of saying “playing and snuggling”.
And it turns out that playing and snuggling isn’t just limited to dogs and cats.
Recently the Cotton Branch Farm Sanctuary in South Carolina went viral for their surprising help wanted ad. You see, they were looking for a very specific type of volunteer: Piggy Cuddlers.
Cotton Branch Farm Sanctuary focuses on rescuing and rehabilitating neglected farm animals.
And they end up with a lot of pigs.
Thankfully, pigs are growing in popularity as pets and many of the sanctuary’s rescues end up being adopted.
That’s where the Piggy Cuddlers come in.
To get the little cuties ready for adoption, they need plenty of interaction with humans to practice social skills.
Besides cuddling, volunteers play and interact with the piggies to give them plenty of mental stimulation.
How cute is that?
If you’re local to Cotton Branch Farm Sanctuary you can apply to volunteer through their website , or non-locals can donate funds to help out.
What do you think? Would you volunteer to cuddle pigs?
