In February 2017, firefighters in Wiltshire rescued 18 piglets and two sows from a barn fire involving 60 tons of hay. Months later, farm manager Rachel Rivers thanked the Pewsey Fire Station crew by gifting them sausages made from those same pigs, explaining they were always meant for meat production

The story quickly went viral and sparked mixed reactions — some viewed it as practical farm-life gratitude, while others called it insensitive. The firefighters praised the sausages, but the debate grew into a wider conversation about farming, animal welfare, and unconventional thank-you gestures