Last spring, a commercial livestock transport truck carrying pigs experienced a jailbreak. Several piglets somehow jumped from the truck and onto a North Carolina highway. The carrier went on to its destination. For just one-week-old piglets, the risky leap led them to lifelong sanctuary.

Personnel from Sisu Refuge discovered two tiny piglets on the side of the road and immediately took action. One of the piglets, named Mindy, passed shortly after its rescue from sustained injuries. Another, Dani, received care at the refuge while the search for other escapees continued. The crew ultimately found a third piglet, Sunshine.

Dani and Sunshine found their forever home at Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary in Potomac, Maryland. You can see a video of the pair sharing a watermelon upon arrival at the sanctuary last summer.

“The bond between Dani and Sunshine was immediate. Despite their harrowing ordeal, they showed remarkable resilience and determination to survive,” Carrie Frey of Rosie’s Farm told Newsweek. “We are thrilled that Dani and Sunshine can help shine a light on the cruelty that these incredible animals endure, and we will continue to work towards a more compassionate and sustainable world.”

@rosiesfs

When our sweet babies arrived!! Dani & Sunshine chomping their first watermelon!! ?? #pigs #piggies #veganfortheanimals #govegan #animalrescue #animalsanctuary #sanctuarylife #vegan #animallovers #pigsoftik #piggies #adoreble #cuteanimals #cutest

♬ original sound – Rosiesfarmsanctuary

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, about 250,000 drivers in the U.S. are specialty livestock haulers. While factory farming is how the majority of U.S. residents consume meat, environmental and animal welfare advocates have for decades criticized the conditions in which animals are forced to live, breed, and die.

For Dani and Sunshine, at least, a harrowing truck transport turns into snack-filled freedom.

Additional source: Arrow Truck Sales, Inc.