LAS VEGAS, Nevada (FOX5) – In May 2023, Rebecca Zajac and Lars Gradel were driving on 215 when they saw a piglet fall out of a transport truck, likely on its way to a feedlot prior to slaughter.

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“I didn’t think he would survive all those falls. It was pretty amazing, but when he fell on the highway, he just jumped up and started investigating the situation. That’s when I jumped out of the car and grabbed him,” Gradel said.

They took him to All Friends Animal Sanctuary, where FOX5 first met Lucky when he was just a few months old.

“Because of your first news broadcast, someone reached out and wanted to sponsor him so he could get a monthly check,” said Tara Pike, founder of All Friends Animal Sanctuary.

Now Lucky can play freely in the mud and explore the area with his team.

“Lucky is definitely an escape artist. I mean, he escaped from the truck and he still escapes from his pen. That’s definitely his curious personality,” Zajac said.

More than a year and 300 pounds later, the bond between Lucky and the people who rescued him is still strong.

“We were lucky that he fell into our laps and that he lives around the corner from us. We just spend time with him and it makes us happy to see him so happy, thriving and huge,” Zajac said.

“That’s pretty sweet, that’s nice,” Gradel said. “I just hope he actually remembers us and knows who we are and appreciates that.”

“I think he remembers them. I think he remembers that they bring him treats every time they come,” Pike said, laughing.

Pike says Lucky alone eats 12 cups of pellets a day and is one of over 100 animals living at All Friends Animal Sanctuary.

If you would like to donate or volunteer, click here.

Living in the Las Vegas heat, Pike says she also needs a lot of sunscreen to protect Lucky’s skin. If you have expired or leftover bottles of sunscreen, you can donate those to the shelter as well.

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