With the end of the year in sight, warm summer days have finally arrived, and both humans and animals are loving it. Some days are almost too hot, so we've dug cool soothing wallows for the pigs. We are also taking care to paint Doris's delicate pink skin with mud so she doesn't get sunburnt. The sheep have been shorn so that they won't swelter as the temperatures increase, and we are ensuring that they have plenty of shade.
The goats especially love the warm weather. You can see Ronan relaxing above, sunbathing on the roof of his goat home.Sadly, Ginko fractured his leg, but he has made an excellent recovery. We're continuing to spend a lot of time helping wounded and abandoned birds. Our rescued ducklings have grown up, and we have three tiny orphaned pheasants, who are thriving in one of the caretaker spaces. Already they are flying around the house. We rescued two injured pigeons from an abandoned building and both are doing well. As an interim measure we are constructing an aviary for them while we finalise our plans for a predator-free paddock (see below).
Our first open day for 2019 will be 2-4 pm on Sunday 13 January. Please make sure you arrive by 2 pm for a vegan afternoon tea followed by a tour of the sanctuary (starting at 2.30 pm sharp). Strong footwear and outdoor clothing are essential. If this doesn't suit, we will also be hosting an open day on Saturday 26 January, 2-4 pm. Please RSVP to blacksheepotaki@gmail.com if you are coming, and we'll send you a map and directions.
We are running our third annual street appeal on Friday 21st December between 7am and 7pm. If you are in Wellington and are keen to be involved, please get in contact with our appeal coordinator Clare Gillard at gillardgirl@gmail.com. For people outside of Wellington who wish to help, we have also set up an online fundraiser, running parallel to the street appeal: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/black-sheep-animal-sanctuary-street-appeal We'd be so grateful If you are able to pass this on to anyone who might be interested.
Our target is to raise around $5000 to build a predator free paddock. This will be a large enclosed area in which the bunnies, guinea pigs, flightless pigeons, and other small or injured animals can live in complete safety and freedom. This facility will make a significant difference to their quality of life, and allow them to be totally cage free. So please look out for our collectors in their cow, pig and chicken onesies on the streets of Wellington on Friday 21st December!
Our target is to raise around $5000 to build a predator free paddock. This will be a large enclosed area in which the bunnies, guinea pigs, flightless pigeons, and other small or injured animals can live in complete safety and freedom. This facility will make a significant difference to their quality of life, and allow them to be totally cage free. So please look out for our collectors in their cow, pig and chicken onesies on the streets of Wellington on Friday 21st December!