Kia ora
If you're going to be in Wellington on Saturday the 18th May, why not light up your evening with some vegan moonbeams? Moon Bar, 167 Riddiford Street, is hosting The Cow Jumps Over the Moon, an animal-friendly extravaganza, with all proceeds going to the Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary. This will feature talented local bands from 8pm, an all-vegan menu from 5pm, and a raffle with prizes generously donated by a few of our friends (including the Underground Soapery, Good Boy and V1), all under the light of the full moon. Entry is $10, or if you are able to offer the animals extra support, $20 buys you entry, a bonus raffle ticket, and Black Sheep stickers. It's going to be a wonderful evening, and everyone is welcome!
If you're going to be in Wellington on Saturday the 18th May, why not light up your evening with some vegan moonbeams? Moon Bar, 167 Riddiford Street, is hosting The Cow Jumps Over the Moon, an animal-friendly extravaganza, with all proceeds going to the Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary. This will feature talented local bands from 8pm, an all-vegan menu from 5pm, and a raffle with prizes generously donated by a few of our friends (including the Underground Soapery, Good Boy and V1), all under the light of the full moon. Entry is $10, or if you are able to offer the animals extra support, $20 buys you entry, a bonus raffle ticket, and Black Sheep stickers. It's going to be a wonderful evening, and everyone is welcome!
Also in Wellington on the 18th of May, you are invited to show your opposition to racism, fascism and Islamophobia, and your support for refugees and migrants. Please meet at 1pm at Civic Square to March Together Against Racism, an event hosted by Wellington against Racism and Fascism. Members of the Black Sheep crew will join the march to demonstrate our support for this important kaupapa.
It’s been an extremely busy autumn at the sanctuary, with work continuing on our predator-free paddock. A steady stream of rescued hedgehogs has been arriving, underweight and suffering from mites or worms. We recently released two after fattening them up so that they will survive winter, but a new rescue, Comet, has just moved in, and will need to be cared for indoors until spring.
The chooks are enjoying sunning themselves and dust-bathing in the mild autumn weather. If you have ex-battery chickens, you might not realise that you can give their own eggs back to them. Just crack the egg onto the ground, and they will gobble it straight up. Battery hens have been selectively bred to constantly lay eggs, and this puts a huge metabolic demand on their bodies. When ex-battery hens such as Florence (below) eat their own eggs, their bodies reabsorb the nutrients and energy that they so desperately need after a life spent in a battery cage. Florence genuinely seems to relish the taste!
On 24 April, World Day for Laboratory Animals, we released a video featuring the ex-laboratory rats that we have cared for in the past at the sanctuary. Thousands of rodents suffer every year in animal experiments, and SAFE and the New Zealand Anti Vivisection Society have just launched a campaign to ban the 'forced swim' test, in which rats and mice are forced to swim until they nearly drown. To get involved and help stop these cruel experiments, please contact NZAVS or SAFE
We have a non-breeding policy at the sanctuary, but the animals sometimes have different ideas! Our hand-reared duck, Niffler is a determined individual with a mind of her own, and she doesn't believe in reproducing at the conventional time of year. Somehow she managed to conceal a small clutch of eggs, and is now the proud mother of four ducklings. They are starting to grow up and become more independent, but still enjoy cuddling up to their mother.
We are excited that Thunderpants are releasing a new pony print to support the Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary. Last week we welcomed their team to the sanctuary to pat the ponies and meet the other animals. Perhaps they'll be inspired to think about a goat print one day, as Vincent the goat stamped some literal hoofprints on their backs!
