Pig welcomes piglets after jumping off truck to slaughterhouse

A pregnant pig on the way to a slaughter house broke out of her cage and jumped off the back of a moving flatbed truck, which saved her life along with her unborn piglets.

The petrified pig was rescued from the side of the road and taken to a dog and cat shelter by animal control officers.

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The mum-to-be gave birth to nine adorable piglets.

After nobody came forward to claim the family of ten, Animal Place, a sanctuary for abused farm animals, picked up the new brood.

The mum and piglets will live at the 600-acre sanctuary in Grass Valley, California.

Founded in 1989, Animal Place is one of the oldest and largest sanctuaries for farmed animals in the US.

Its website says: "Animals arrive from small and large farms, slaughterhouses, research facilities, and neglect or cruelty cases. All animals find a haven where all their needs are met and their individual quirks respected

"In addition to providing sanctuary farmed animals, Animal Place serves as an education and advocacy centre. We offer tours, cooking classes and workshops at the sanctuary as well as volunteer and internship opportunities. Because factory farming takes the lives of 10 billion land animals each year in the United States, we promote a vegan, cruelty-free lifestyle."

You can donate to the cause here.