Kia ora
Enormous thanks to you all! With your help, we raised $10,000 to purchase essential winter fodder and veterinary supplies. In addition to reaching our Givealittle target, we received several bank transfer and cash donations, enabling us to exceed our goal. We are extremely humbled by your support.
Covid has been difficult for everyone, but we are now heading into winter with confidence! The money raised has funded large purchases of hay and straw and is helping us cover our weekly bills for goat pellets, grain, horse feed and veterinary supplies.
Enormous thanks to you all! With your help, we raised $10,000 to purchase essential winter fodder and veterinary supplies. In addition to reaching our Givealittle target, we received several bank transfer and cash donations, enabling us to exceed our goal. We are extremely humbled by your support.
Covid has been difficult for everyone, but we are now heading into winter with confidence! The money raised has funded large purchases of hay and straw and is helping us cover our weekly bills for goat pellets, grain, horse feed and veterinary supplies.
New sanctuary residents
We continue to rescue animals from emergency situations. Our recent arrivals include Lentil, an older thoroughbred horse, and Rocky, a very elderly steer. The miniature horses at the sanctuary find Lentil rather large and overwhelming, so she has been enjoying time with the cows, who are more appropriately sized companions! Rocky was saved from being 'put in the freezer' and we are very relieved to have him with us.
We continue to rescue animals from emergency situations. Our recent arrivals include Lentil, an older thoroughbred horse, and Rocky, a very elderly steer. The miniature horses at the sanctuary find Lentil rather large and overwhelming, so she has been enjoying time with the cows, who are more appropriately sized companions! Rocky was saved from being 'put in the freezer' and we are very relieved to have him with us.
We’ve also settled a tiny pūkeko and a wee rooster into the Black Sheep. Early last month one of our vet clinics phoned to ask if we could care for an orphaned baby pūkeko, pictured below on arrival. Young birds can be difficult to raise, but Gadget is thriving and developing rapidly - their long toes make a handy tool for holding food while they vigorously tear small pieces off with their beak. Gadget's favourite food seems to change every few days, with the current tasty treat being red capsicum!
Later in March Bowie (formerly known as Scratch) arrived, a young rooster with a malformed beak from a hatch defect. He's rather daunted by our large and boisterous rooster flock, so we have moved him in with other needy birds and animals in our predator-free paddock. Little Bowie is very friendly and vocal and has a beautiful smile!
Animal care
Our herb gardens are flourishing in the cooler weather and the sanctuary rabbits are enjoying the crisp fragrant leaves, which form a vital part of a domestic rabbit’s diet. In the wild, bunnies forage for a wide variety of food, so every day we supplement their meals with herbs such as basil, mint, dill and fennel to provide extra vitamins. While many garden herbs are safe for rabbits, we recommend you double-check first before adding to their feed. The Rabbit Welfare Association has a useful guide to wholesome plants for bunnies.
Our herb gardens are flourishing in the cooler weather and the sanctuary rabbits are enjoying the crisp fragrant leaves, which form a vital part of a domestic rabbit’s diet. In the wild, bunnies forage for a wide variety of food, so every day we supplement their meals with herbs such as basil, mint, dill and fennel to provide extra vitamins. While many garden herbs are safe for rabbits, we recommend you double-check first before adding to their feed. The Rabbit Welfare Association has a useful guide to wholesome plants for bunnies.
The sheep also relish the succulent grass. They can spend around seven hours a day grazing, so we rotate our flocks between paddocks to ensure they always have access to fresh food - here Dandelion is checking out her new pasture! We supplement their diet with hay and sheep pellets, as our older sheep need extra special treatment to maintain a healthy weight and condition. Thanks to your generosity, we are well-placed to provide all the extra care they need.
Weeds such as blackberries have been flourishing in the humid conditions. The sanctuary crew has been working hard to cut back the blackberry brambles creeping out along our driveway. There was a silver (or perhaps a scratchy) lining to the hard labour, however – the goats were delighted to snack on four large trailer loads of prunings. Feeding blackberry branches enables goats to express their natural browsing behaviour while supplying extra nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese. The goats have been nibbling happily at their thorny treats!
Some you may have met Zelda, a gentle, curious turkey who lives with her companion Hilda at the sanctuary. Sadly, most turkeys are not so lucky - over 200,000 turkeys are farmed in New Zealand every year, mostly for meat. Many are kept in dark sheds where they live in cramped and filthy conditions. They are bred to gain weight abnormally rapidly so that they can be slaughtered at between 12 and 26 weeks of age. Fortunately Zelda and Hilda will always have a safe, loving home with us.
Some you may have met Zelda, a gentle, curious turkey who lives with her companion Hilda at the sanctuary. Sadly, most turkeys are not so lucky - over 200,000 turkeys are farmed in New Zealand every year, mostly for meat. Many are kept in dark sheds where they live in cramped and filthy conditions. They are bred to gain weight abnormally rapidly so that they can be slaughtered at between 12 and 26 weeks of age. Fortunately Zelda and Hilda will always have a safe, loving home with us.
Animal memorial – Toa
Our much loved pig friend Toa passed away in February after suffering partial paralysis and severe pain in his back. He deteriorated rapidly and our veterinarian recommended euthanasia as the kindest option. It's been quite a shock to us, as Toa lived at the sanctuary for nine years, arriving as a tiny piglet after a hunter shot his mother - at that time he was smaller than the sanctuary cat. Hand-raised, he developed into a very affectionate and sensitive pig. Toa loved spending time with humans and greeted you with gentle grunts if you approached his paddock during the day. He could sense if you were tense or sad and would try to comfort you. We will never forget our companion of many years.
Our much loved pig friend Toa passed away in February after suffering partial paralysis and severe pain in his back. He deteriorated rapidly and our veterinarian recommended euthanasia as the kindest option. It's been quite a shock to us, as Toa lived at the sanctuary for nine years, arriving as a tiny piglet after a hunter shot his mother - at that time he was smaller than the sanctuary cat. Hand-raised, he developed into a very affectionate and sensitive pig. Toa loved spending time with humans and greeted you with gentle grunts if you approached his paddock during the day. He could sense if you were tense or sad and would try to comfort you. We will never forget our companion of many years.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and we hope you are keeping well and staying warm on these chilly nights! Sadly our open days remain on hold as there continue to be significant numbers of Omicron cases and the winter weather is uncertain.. We appreciate your understanding and patience. We’re looking forward to confirming our next open days in spring - we would love to welcome you to the sanctuary and thank you in person!