T H E
F A R M
A N I M A L
S A N C T U A R Y
COVID-19 UPDATE: IN LINE WITH THE LATEST GOVERNMENT GUIDLEINES WE ARE POSTPONING ALL FUNCTIONS
C H R I S T M A S
N E W S L E T T E R
2 0 2 0
Dear Friends and Supporters
AND VISITS FOR THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE.
What could be better than planning to hold Christmas in the Spring, when the trees and the flowers and the shrubs are all coming back to life? In your garden, in the park, on the beach, possibilities are endless, and something to look forwards too?
PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE FOR FURTHER DETAILS. 2021 CALENDARS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW! SEE PAGE 6 FOR DETAILS.
BRENDA IS “RESCUE OF THE YEAR”. READ HER INCREDIBLE STORY ON PAGE 2.
Registered Charity:702287
last forever even though at the moment it feels as though it will, and what’s wrong with holding Christmas on another day when all this is over?
Wishing everyone a pleasant and peaceful Christmas and New year. We’re well aware that for so many of you
Here, Christmas is just another day. Our small team, who have all said they don’t mind coming in on Christmas Day, take pride looking around at the animals they’re caring for, and not just see but feel how contented the it’s likely that you won’t animals are, because of be able to have your their care. traditional Christmas Day, sharing it with Our animals wouldn’t be here if we weren’t here, family and friends. and we wouldn’t be here Frustrating a n d if it weren’t for you, our disappointing as it is, this supporters. situation isn’t going to
www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk
Patron: Joanna Lumley OBE
PAGE
2
Proud mother clings to life by a thread. “how her body had managed to keep a lamb alive and growing while she was wasting away was nothing short of a miracle.”
“she would have been pushed around, probably changed hands many times and then finished up starving in the hellhole.”
Registered Charity:702287
We decided that this year, for a change, we would highlight one animal as “Rescue Of The Year” as a “feel good” opener. We chose Brenda, and her lamb Charlie. Brenda was seen in a field in Warwickshire, a field which had no grass, no water supply, no feed of any sort, what it did have were the bodies of ewes and lambs in varying stages of decomposition, and other sheep who were more dead than alive. She was too weak to stand, but her eyes followed the people who were there to get her away from what looked like a hellhole. She just about had the strength to lift her head to drink, all the time watching people with no fear in her eyes, just gratitude, With our Vet Josies’ advice and help Brenda was given everything there was to give her to keep her going, we picked fresh grass, willow, and ivy leaves, she also had a cocktail of vitamins. When Josie examined her she found she was carrying a live lamb, how her body
had managed to keep a lamb alive and growing while she was wasting away was nothing short of a miracle. We watched her grow a little bit stronger by the day, we watched her constantly for signs of her ready to have her lamb and like the trooper she was, she made it easy for us by going into labour during daylight, and not in the middle of the night. With minimum help from Josie, her lamb was born, a
strong, healthy boy. She was also carrying a second small lamb who had died some time before, but all that concerned Brenda was getting to Charlie and giving him a good clean while he was struggling to find his feet. Brenda had no milk, not surprising. Her eyes were on Charlie as we offered him milk from a bottle, not from a mum, and just like his mum he got on with it, he wasn’t fussed where it came from.
www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk
Brenda loved her boy from the start, she was so proud of him, she was more than happy to watch us when we picked him up for a cuddle, and all of this from a ewe who almost certainly never had a kind word spoken to her in her life, she would have been pushed around, probably changed hands many times and then finished up starving in the hellhole. And still you can hear farmers come out with the old adage, “If you have sheep, you’ll need a shovel, they can’t wait to die”. The two ewes who were brought out of the same field as Brenda both died within a short time of getting them home, both were carrying dead lambs. The fourth ewe, now named Betty, had been left mutilated, I won’t go into details. If she hadn’t got onto her feet by evening she was going to be shot. She’s made a full recovery with us. The farmer hasn’t been prosecuted, instead, he’s been offered advice from DEFRA?
Charlie now!
Patron: Joanna Lumley OBE
Newcomers in 2020.
CHRISTMAS
N EWSLETTER
2020
Ellie the Village Sheep. On a lighter note, we brought in little Ellie the lamb just before lockdown. She’d been straying around a nearby village, hanging around the village pub waiting for crisps, visiting peoples’ homes if they were silly enough to leave the door open, and dicing with death on a daily basis while strolling across the road. Villagers feared for her safety.
PAGE
3
Devon Eleven Next came eleven much loved sheep from Devon, all of them rescued from the moors and kept as much loved, (quite spoiled!) pets, until health problems meant that their owners were no longer able to give them the attention they were needing.
Four Shetland Monkeys They were followed by four small black Shetlands who behave like earthbound monkeys. A change of circumstances meant their owner was desperate to find them another safe home.
Cissie Th en c ame Cissie the sow. Cissie, a very good looking, friendly sow had outstayed her welcome at her previous residence. We understand she caused a certain amount of damage to her surroundings, possibly because she wasn’t enjoying the view? Registered Charity:702287
Sammy & Mikey T w o h u ge b o y s waddled their way into their quarantine stable next, they probably weighed around 120 kilos each, at least. Their owner, who’d had them as orphaned lambs, could no longer handle them as he’d had a heart attack. We’re not surprised!
Eve Finds Peace Sad little Eve was brought in by people who had seen her in a field looking weak and tired, they were able to buy her and bring her to us. She walked in circles, she had no appetite, showed no interest in what was going on around her. With treatment she seemed to be turning a corner, sadly it didn’t last, there was no option but to let her go peacefully. A post mortem showed her liver was so damaged there was no treatment. A sweet little ewe, she went very peacefully, and in her last weeks she’d been comfortable and cared for. www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk
Patron: Joanna Lumley OBE
PAGE
4
Roo Hopped Back to Health Sleep tight Rosie Nora, Rosie and Jim arrived as a little family. Jim was a strapping, healthy lamb, Rosie was half his size, unable to walk, she had a wonky little face that shone with joy, she was a happy little soul. She died in her sleep, peacefully, we miss her cheerful little face.
“She had a wonky little face that shone with joy, she was a happy little soul.”
A ewe with her two lambs came next. She struggled to walk, she hopped rather than walked, every step looked so painful for her. Initially it was thought that she severe damage to her spine, it didn’t look good for her and we were all thinking the worst. Vet Jade came to see her, she recognised the symptoms straightaway, the cure was simple. Separate the lambs, keep her off the grass, give her painkillers and wait. Roo, as she was named because she hopped a bit like a kangaroo, is now walking normally and is reunited with her lambs, Jack and Jill. Well spotted, Vet.
Every Space is Filled. Lola and Midas
And still they kept coming, animals who were either destined for slaughter or urgently needed a new safe home. Lambs Lola and Midas, Jane with her lambs Penny and Bobby, Boris the scruffy boy who had never been sheared, Ziggy, Peewee, Peggy, Lucy, and finally Merlin, small in size but big in attitude! Just for a change, a small bullock was urgently in need of a new home. Friendly and very healthy, he was taking up space that was no longer available for him, so us, or the Abattoir. Welcome, Little Alfie. Throughout the year, we’ve also had a number of hens, cockerels, ducks, geese and ex battery hens find their way through our gate. If we have a space, word gets round, it’s soon filled!
Merlin
Boris Registered Charity:702287
Ziggy, Peggy, Peewee & Lucy www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk
Alfie Patron: Joanna Lumley OBE
CHRISTMAS
N EWSLETTER
2020
PAGE
5
Can you help to feed us? We’re preparing for a hard winter, whatever the weather decides to do. Feed prices are rising because of the wet winter and spring, crops either couldn’t be planted or they perished in the floods. Straw is almost impossible to find, anything that is available has more than doubled in price. Last year the big round bales could be bought for £20, this year it’s between £40-£50. Unfortunately, there’s no alternative. We will soon need another 4x4 vehicle, when the old one goes out into the fields something else drops off, we can’t do without it and we’ll soon run out of string which is holding things together. I’ve said so many times before, welfare issues relating to farm
animals would never be tolerated in any other species. They are exported all over the world, suffering journeys of thousands of miles, to then be slaughtered without pre stunning. Hundreds of sheep and cattle have drowned when overcrowded ships capsized. Thousands of healthy cattle shot on the result of a flawed TB test. Certain breeds of calves who won’t grow into beef animals can be legally shot when they’re a few days old, they’re surplus to requirements. Intensive caging and rearing of birds and animals whose basic nature is to feel fresh air and freedom. And who is accountable for all this suffering? No one.
This is why we’re here. This is why we keep our fingers crossed every year that we can bring enough funds in to survive and give as many as animals as we can the life they’re entitled too. These animals are sentient beings, it’s so easy to see fear in their eyes when they’re threatened, and it’s so easy to see the change in their eyes when they feel safe, and confident. They need your help, we need your help. The price of one posh coffee would cover the cost of feeding one sheep for one week. The price of a daily newspaper, for one week, would cover the cost of feeding five hens for a week.
“The price of one posh coffee would cover the cost of feeding one sheep for one week.”
A Cheerful Smile Who brings a smile to everyone’s face in these dark days? I’ve saved her until last, her name is Pandora, she’s a small lamb who now, always has the biggest beaming smile on her face. She arrived about two months ago, unable to stand or sit up properly, fell on her side quite often when she tried to move, and the look on her face told us that we weren’t to be trusted. With some help from us, but mainly by her own efforts and determination she is not only up, but also running, everywhere. Not only that, but she loves everyone, we’re now her family, her big smile says it all. Registered Charity:702287
www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk
Patron: Joanna Lumley OBE
Britain's First Farm Animal Sanctuary
School Lane Middle Littleton Evesham WR11 8LN
Would you like to know exactly what you’re getting when you donate to us? Why not have a look at our Amazon Wish List! It is continually updated with items that we need for the day to day running of the
01386 834500
Sanctuary, simply pay for the item you would like to donate to us and
info@thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk
Christmas Cards and 2021 Calendars now on Sale!
it will be delivered straight to the Sanctuary. We thank you for your continued support, every donation is very much appreciated!
STOP PRESS!!
We have just answered an appeal to offer a home to ex battery hens. They’ve spent their short lives in cages, no natural daylight, no privacy to lay their eggs, and then what, after providing a good living for someone? Manhandled into a tiny crate,
loaded onto a lorry, next stop the a b a t t o i r . We now have 60 of these ladies with us, bald, a bit bald, and not so bald. When they first saw grass, they were frighted, (what’s this green stuff?) Go girls, this is your new life.
Featured on our calendar this year:
Have the best Christmas you can, this isn’t going to last forever and we’ll all get back to whatever normal is these days, but for farm animals, everything needs to change, they depend on us, and we depend on you.
Visit the website or our Facebook page for details Registered Charity:702287
With all our best wishes for a peaceful Christmas and New year.
www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk
Patron: Joanna Lumley OBE