Latest News
A CLOSE SHAVE
February 19, 2012
Our lovely rescue dog, Benji, has extremely thick long fur. We thought he’d be more comfortable with shorter hair for the hot weather, so took him in for a ‘summer cut’. The groomer was finding it a hard slog, so when the vet was free he decided to help. The vet picked up a second electric hair trimmer, and as he started to quickly run it along Benji’s side the groomer yelled “NOooooooooooooo!”. That trimmer had just been used to shave a cat for speying, and the shaving head was still on it. Sure enough, there was a strip of shaved skin showing all along Benji’s side. The vet said, “Oops, I’d better even it up”, and “Well, I might as well do the rest”, and before we knew it Benji was shaved on two-thirds of of his body!! He has a “mohawk” along his back, but the rest of him has a close shave that will last til autumn. Oops, indeed!
Happy Valentines Day!
February 14, 2012
Love comes in all shapes and sizes, as the close relationship between Maddie and Sparky continues to demonstrate. Much love to all of you, from all of us here at The Animal Sanctuary.
Our Big “Puppy”
February 13, 2012
People don’t believe me when I tell them that Sparky (a rescued calf who is now a large steer) is exactly like a big puppy. So when they meet him, they’re blown away by the fact that he gives kisses, hugs, and cuddles. Over a year after his rescue Sparky’s wound is almost healed, and the only remaining open part is the size of a 50 cent piece. Kaye, a friend of The Sanctuary from Texas, kindly sent over a new wonder spray Veterycin that is supposed to be amazing. Thanks Kaye!! We tried it on Sparky when we changed his bandage this week, so will see how it goes. If you’d like to support our work with rescued animals, please come to our fundraiser on March 25. Enjoy live music, delicious food and award winning wine… AND help save animals and native birds at the same time!! See below for details.
OUR BIG EVENT!
February 12, 2012
We are very excited to announce that The Animal Sanctuary is holding a special musical fundraising event, “Animal Aid Afternoon”, on Sunday 25 March, 1:30 – 5pm. This wonderful event will feature the live music of the glamorous Purrzazz trio (pictured) whose divine vocal harmonies and entertaining show will take you on an unforgettable musical journey. The event will also include special guest stars Alzarae, sophisticated tenors who are often called “New Zealand’s answer to El Divo”. Their outstanding performance will swell your heart and lift your spirit. Continue reading below for Alzarae’s photo and more details…
“Animal Aid Afternoon” is being generously hosted by The Stables Restaurant venue set in beautiful Matakana Country Park. Delicious food along with award winning Moana Park wine is included in the entry fee. Tickets are strictly limited, so we are letting our website and Facebook friends know before we release tickets to the general public. Tickets are $32 (or $27 for Sanctuary Supporters), and all proceeds will go to The Animal Sanctuary for our work with rescued animals and native birds. To book, please contact Shawn Bishop at animalsanctuary@xtra.co.nz or call 09-422-7322. I look forward to seeing you there!
Four New Owls
February 11, 2012
Is it the moon? We’ve received 4 injured native owls recently, all needing rehabilitation. One is a juvenile who will be released as soon as it builds some more strength. The second has an eye injury. It appears that she can see alright, so she’ll be released once the blood cells floating in her eye break down. The final two owls both have wing injuries, so we’ll see how they do with rehab. Owls must be able to fly completely silently. They are little stealth bombers, which is how they catch their prey. If their wings rustle, they’ll starve. Listening to them fly before they’re released is very important. Housing 4 owls is problematic, as you cannot put 2 males in the same aviary or they’ll fight to the death. And since their sexual organs are internal, to determine their gender we have to pluck a feather and send it off for DNA testing. Females and 1 male can go into an aviary together, but any extra males have to be housed separately. We really need to build another flight run (or 2 or 3!) for additional males, as we often have multiple owls. Michael tells me to put it on “Shawn’s never-ending To Do list” !!
The Power Team
February 10, 2012
With all the projects that need doing here at The Sanctuary, I was wishing that I had a big team who would just magically appear and get stuck in. I had 1 volunteer from France scheduled, so I advertised to see if I could get someone else to join him. 2 German volunteers answered. Then they phoned again and said they had 2 other friends who were also keen. Great, 5 volunteers!! Next there was a knock on the door, and 2 volunteers from France who had been with us last month were at the door, saying, “We were passing by, and thought we’d stop to see if you wanted us to come back for a few days.” So in one day, we went from 1 volunteer to 7 volunteers!! Wow, the power of visualisation really works! It’s been great having a house full of positive, energetic, wonderful people in their 20′s. They’re powering through the projects, are great with the animals, and are a lot of fun. My wish came true!
All Slung Up
February 7, 2012
This may look like some kind of medieval torture technique, but it’s actually an important part of this tui’s therapy. When we received this juvenile, she was lying limply on her side, unable to move. She had probably flown into a window and sustained a brain injury. Her legs and wings work, but she’s unable to orient herself. We place her in a sling for several hours each day, which lets her brain remember how to make the connections to hold herself in the correct position. Her future looked pretty grim at the beginning, but she is now scooting around, climbing the bars, hanging from the side, and has just begun to hold herself (sometimes!) in an upright position. There’s no guarantee, but since she’s not in pain we’re happy to give her plenty of time and support to see if she can come right. So far, she’s making distinct and steady improvements.
