Lombardy Fair: Cancel the piglet "scramble"

  • by: Gloria Baker
  • recipient: Lombardy Fair Board President Melanie Chisholm

The Lombardy Fair is a time-honoured tradition in southern Ontario. The community comes together to enjoy family-friendly fun and entertainment. Unfortunately, the Fair is not fun for everyone. The "pig scramble" involving innocent young pigs is inhumane and cruel to these gentle, intelligent creatures.

This event entails children, at times assisted by adults, chasing young pigs around a pen, with no means of escape. The terrified pigs are subjected to the yelling of the onlookers in addition to being chased and manhandled, with the potential for physical injury as the excited children attempt to capture them.

While these events seem harmless, they cause physical and emotional harm to the pig. Pigs are considered prey animals and instinctively fear being chased. They often urinate or defecate out of sheer terror while being chased and wrestled. Pigs are sensitive, loving creatures and they deserve to be treated with dignity.

We are imploring the Lombardy Fair Board to join other progressive organizations and cancel your planned pig scramble events.

Events such as pig scrambles belong in the past. In 2016 we have evolved beyond chasing helpless animals around simply for entertainment purposes. This cruel event should be cancelled and replaced with a humane alternative activity that encourages compassion for animals.

Please sign this petition and share it with others.

Dear President Melanie Chisholm:


The Lombardy Fair is a time-honoured tradition in southern Ontario. The community comes together to enjoy family-friendly fun and entertainment. Unfortunately, the fair is not fun for everyone. The "pig scramble," involving innocent young pigs, is inhumane and cruel to these gentle, intelligent creatures.


This event entails children, at times assisted by adults, chasing young pigs around a pen, with no means of escape. The terrified pigs are subjected to the yelling of the onlookers in addition to being chased and manhandled, with the potential for physical injury as the excited children attempt to capture them.


While these events seem harmless, they cause physical and emotional harm to the pig. Pigs are considered prey animals and instinctively fear being chased. They often urinate or defecate out of sheer terror while being chased and wrestled. Pigs are sensitive, loving creatures and they deserve to be treated with dignity.


We are imploring the Lombardy Fair Board to join other progressive organizations and cancel your planned pig scramble events.


Events such as pig scrambles belong in the past. In 2016 we have evolved beyond chasing helpless animals around simply for entertainment purposes. This cruel event should be cancelled and replaced with a humane alternative activity that encourages compassion for animals.

Update #17 years ago
Thank you so much to everyone who signed!! I sent the petition to the president of the Lombardy Fair today, with cc's to media and the Ontario SPCA. Will let you know what response I receive. If the event takes place this coming weekend, some of us in the area will be protesting it.
Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.