While Aotearoa is facing climate change rather than an ice age, the Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary Ōtaki is making a truly mammoth effort to keep the lights on at their Ōtaki haven for rescued animals, while buying in winter feed supplies.

Teapot, an adorable pig, is offering extra grunt to the fundraising campaign. Teapot was rescued as a tiny piglet, hiding under a bush and suffering from pneumonia and a parasite infestation. He is now playful and thriving, enjoying frolicking with his best mate, a young pig named Blue.

Teapot and Blue are just two of the over 200 animals who have found shelter at the sanctuary, which also homes goats, sheep, roosters, cows, horses, ducks, geese, rabbits, turkeys and many more. Like Teapot, the rescued residents are often ill or injured when they arrive and require specialised care to regain health.

Human animals are also essential for a smoothly running sanctuary. Kate Waghorn and Lyss Baumgartner are two of the on-site team who regularly labour around the clock, trimming hooves, preparing feed, maintaining fences and animal housing, organising enrichment activities and tending to sick animals.

Kate and Lyss also put their time towards the sanctuary’s Opportunity for Animals opshops in Newtown and Miramar. “While the shops cover many of our daily expenses and animal sponsorship is a great help, rising costs across the board mean we need to reach out for extra donations for large unexpected bills,” says Kate.

Unfortunately, replacing the outdated power system at the sanctuary is one of those urgent bills, arising just as the Black Sheep needs to buy in mountains of winter feed. In the wake of Hurricane Gabrielle, hay is scarce and expensive. This is an “emergency situation”, Lyss emphasises.

Hence, the Mammoth Sanctuary Fundraiser. The sanctuary is aiming to raise $30,000 to upgrade the power system, while buying in winter feed, paying off the vet bills and repairing other infrastructure such as essential vehicles and a failing water pump.

“We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received in the past, and we’re hoping the community will come through for us and the animals again”, says Lyss.

Help little Teapot and his companions through a mammoth effort to share the Givealittle campaign.

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/mammoth-sanctuary-fundraiser-the-black-sheep

ENDS

Contact: Lyss Baumgartner 02040207018

opportunityforanimals@yahoo.co.nz

Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary Ōtaki - Facebook

http://www.theblacksheep.org.nz - Website

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