Live at the Sanctuary

The Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary is looking for keen volunteers, willing to live onsite and work hard for a minimum of one month in exchange for food and accommodation.

As we invest a lot of time in training our live-in volunteers a stay of less than one month is sadly not available.

The sanctuary is a human-vegan space and you will be expected to eat only vegan food during your stay. We welcome gay/lesbian/bi/trans/queer friendly people and are opposed to all kinds of oppression.

Work at the sanctuary is extremely varied and can at times be physically and emotionally demanding. The tasks could include animal care, building and maintenance, gardening, fundraising and outreach.

We ask sanctuary workers to volunteer in our fundraising op-shops in Wellington and Ōtaki for three half days per fortnight. This is fun and social, and an essential way for us to fundraise. 

Living at the sanctuary is very hands-on and co-operative, with a diverse range of people coming and going. You will get your own bedroom in the shared house or a sleepout and be expected to join in with communal cooking. We have some spare jackets, waterproof boots, warm clothes, etc but please contact us before arriving if you are unsure what to bring or don’t have appropriate clothing. If you hold a valid driver's license, we may have a car available for use.

We are working towards an intentional community model and can offer compatible people the opportunity to stay longer term. For people willing to commit long term we may have a small wage available, free rent and bills etc – please get in touch about how to apply and for more information.

If you are interested in applying or want more information please email us and we can send you our application questions or answer your questions: blacksheepcrew@yandex.com

The sanctuary aims to be a space safer from sexism, homophobia, racism etc, so please come along with a great attitude!

Please also indicate if you would like to receive our newsletter with sanctuary updates and invitations to working bees!