By the time the sun crests the desert hills, Vita Duncan is already at work, boots sinking into damp earth, hoses snaking across the ground.
Water troughs need refilling, kiddie pools need scrubbing and enclosures need cleaning. A chorus of impatient snorts rises as breakfast runs a few minutes behind schedule. Within moments, she is hauling buckets, scooping manure and spreading fresh mud to protect sensitive skin from the Arizona sun.
Then comes the pause that makes it all worth it: a 400-pound pig easing onto his side, waiting for a belly rub. This is Duncan’s weekend ritual at Better Piggies Rescue.
