9 Göttingen mini pigs
from the experiment
Now, the Göttingen mini pigs are retired. At the age of about three years, 9 pig personalities became part of our family and should be able to live a good, relaxed life until the natural end of their lives.
The series of experiments has come to an end, and the "lucky" pigs were to have even more luck. After the animals had grown very fond of the staff in the experimental laboratory, it was clear that they should definitely live on and so the request came to Gut Aiderbichl. The Göttingen mini pigs Vera, Julia, Sophie, Ludmilla, Bernadette, Ferdinand, Anno, Hannibal and Markus have found a forever-home at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf.
They were laboratory animals that did not suffer
Blood samples were taken from the pigs at regular intervals, which were needed for in vitro experiments. Thus, no experiments were performed on the pigs themselves, but their blood was needed for the experiments.
During that time, they were cared for and they became very trusting and absolutely friendly towards humans.
They always had a regular daily routine and received visits from students and visiting groups.
They had also outdoor enclosures and - in contrast to other animals kept in experiments - the 9 mini pigs moved freely.
A dedicated veterinarian built the 9 mini pigs an outdoor enclosure
Vera, Julia, Sophie, Ludmilla, Bernadette, Ferdinand, Anno, Hannibal and Markus were toand so a dedicated veterinarian fenced in a meadow for them. Pigs want to move, and indeed at least as much as a dog.
He was sad when he gave them away, because Vera, Julia, Sophie, Ludmilla, Bernadette, Ferdinand, Anno, Hannibal and Markus were his bright spot after a hard day at work.
The mini pigs were marked with a number and a name
During the experimental series, the pigs were identified by numbers. Each Minipig was also given a name:
Vera - is the boss of the pig ladies and sets the tone, Julia - is a model student, so she is very capable of learning. Nevertheless, she rather loves the coziness, Sophie - loves sunbathing and delicious food, Ludmilla - she is the smallest of the pig ladies and loves to be petted without end, Bernadette - is higher up in the hierarchy and sometimes even scuffles with the boys, Ferdinand - is the boss of the Göttingen Minipigs and lives out his reputation, Anno - Chilling has a name: Anno, Hannibal - he has the rogue in the neck and is cheeky, Markus - was the original boss of all nine pigs. He has handed over this post to Ferdinand.
Since deep friendships have developed within the group and the animals are very attached to each other, trying to find a place where they could be together happily for the rest of their lives wasn't so easy. For the veterinarian, a heart's desire came true and the 9 Göttingen mini pigs live now together in a wooden house with terrace and attached bathing pond.
National and international laws require animal testing...
The owner of the 9 mini pigs was the company Merck.
"National and international laws require animal testing when drugs and chemicals are to be developed and approved. Our long-term goal at Merck is to replace these tests with better alternatives. Nevertheless, animal testing will still be unavoidable for many years, especially in drug development. As long as this is the case, we want to offer all our animals the highest possible quality of life. Therefore, we are committed to the best possible standards of housing, husbandry and veterinary care. This applies to rodents just as it does to our pigs, which are used for the welfare of patients. That is why we are especially pleased that we can now thank our patrons with a beautiful pig duck at the Gut Aiderbichl farm. It's nice to know that they feel "super comfortable" there - we thank everyone who makes this possible." (Dr. Schmitt, Global Head of Development Chemical&Preclinical Safety, Merck)
The company Merck provided the mini pigs with a pension. It is the absolute wish that the pigs should lack nothing and that they feel "super comfortable".
Many thanks to Merck and its employees for their respect for the animals and may there soon be medicines and chemicals where no animal is required for experimental purposes.
Sincerely, Yours Gisela
