Deep inside the maze of deserted rural roads and tangled-armed saguaros in Marana, 680 four-legged residents roam 80 acres of dirt and ranchland.

For 24 years Mary Schanz and her team have been working to save the lives of potbelly pigs abandoned by their owners. 

“It has been a very rewarding purpose in the last years of my life taking care of these animals and saving them,” Schanz said. “What keeps me going is when I get these stories of horrible situations with these pigs, and I see them later, happy and healthy.”

Schanz never imagined she would still be rescuing pigs 25 years after she and her husband started Ironwood Pig Sanctuary. At age 54, it was supposed to be her semi-retirement plan; it turned into a lifetime devotion. 

On a Friday morning in January, Schanz had her hands full as staff members pulled the squeaky feeding carts to the pens of snorting, tail-wagging pigs.

“Hi, honey!” Mary Schanz greets Blue Bonnet, a pot belly pig who proudly showed off his healed wounds from a dog attack.

Schanz started Ironwood after seeing a story in the Arizona Daily Star about  a sanctuary in Picture Rocks that needed help. That sanctuary has since closed. 

“After getting involved with them, I started loving pigs, and I wanted to make a difference,” she said. “I thought I could actually do something by taking in some pigs.”

Throughout the years, Ironwood absorbed 300 pigs from three former Arizona sanctuaries and rescued more than 1,500 others. They now have 680 pigs on site and more than 400 in foster homes.

“People give these pigs up for several reasons,” Schanz said. “Sometimes people pass away, get overwhelmed or move, but there are also cases when pigs are starved, neglected, or beaten up by dogs, and they come to us in horrible conditions.” 

Tomahawk, a survivor of southside dog attacks, happily crunched on animal crackers as Schanz petted his back. He stared at her with big brown eyes that seemed even bigger after he lost his ears in the dog fight.

“Tomahawk is one of our success stories,” Schanz said. “He was in horrible condition. His ears are gone and his front leg is deformed. He had several infections, but he has totally recovered. He is one of our sweet boys.” 

Even though Ironwood is the biggest pig sanctuary in Arizona and one of the largest in the country, they operate without government funds.

“Our donors make our mission of rescuing neglected, abused and unwanted pigs happen,” Schanz said. “They are there for us all the time, even though some of them will never even see the pigs in person.”

The donations come from all over the country and include food, blankets, or supporting a pig of choice through the sponsor program.

Schanz said the donors and staff are largely responsible for keeping the sanctuary up and running for 25 years. In turn, the pigs are what’s kept her healthy and active.

Schanz is hoping to see the sanctuary stick around another 25 years, but she doesn’t think she will be the one to lead it.

“Hopefully, I will have good people taking over,” she said.

Painting with pigs

Ironwood Pig Sanctuary hosts “Painting with Pigs,” a fundraising event, three times a year, where the sanctuary collaborates with Tucson business, Painting and Vino, on site. 

Expect a relaxed atmosphere filled with creativity and four-legged supporters.

The 45 dollar ticket also contains a sanctuary tour after the paint has dried on the masterpieces.

This event is open to every age, however, only children  above 5 years old to enter the tour. 

The next Paint with Pigs event will be held in April.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.