Elaine West–the founder of Rooterville Animal Sanctuary, a refuge housing rescued farm animals she launched in Melrose, Florida, more than two decades ago—explains the origin of her lifelong love of pigs. West pinpoints a particular pig that a local Humane Society was about to send home with “adopters” she felt certain were planning to eat the animal, so she intervened and rescued the pig…a pivotal episode that effectively spawned Rooterville. She recalls the early years of Rooterville, facing relentless challenges, traveling a tricky learning curve on how to run a sanctuary and how to care for assorted farm animals—many of whom had experienced neglect or abuse.
In response to my specific inquiry, she addresses the extent to which she looks at her work at Rooterville as a calling, West allows that it is a calling—but, perhaps viewed through the lens of decades of experience—wishes that it weren’t a calling. More than once during our conversation, she acknowledged with a sigh of resignation that she’s older, and disabled, and figured she’d be retired by now.
On a related note, she mentions she no longer takes in rescued pigs or other animals when approached to do so, after many years of saying “yes” to nearly all such entreaties. She concurs when I observe that her work guiding Rooterville feels like it’s propelled by a sort of spirituality…