The Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary | Sanctuary

Farm Animal Sanctuary in New Zealand

The Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary is a safe and sustainable space to rehabilitate and re-home abused, injured and neglected animals.

We are a relatively new sanctuary on 26 acres of land at Ōtaki Forks, an hour’s drive north of Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Set up by the Animal Protection Society, the Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary operates according to animal rights principles and promotes animal liberation through their work. The Sanctuary’s main sources of funding are the Opportunity for Animals Opshops.

The Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary

In November 2009 the Animal Protection Society bought 26 acres of land to set up a sanctuary for animals founded on animal rights principles. Our primary aim is to provide a refuge for abused, neglected, and mistreated animals, and especially former farm animals.

In New Zealand, a country where the economy depends on the dairy and meat industry, there are many animals in dire need of care and protection. We rescue and rehabilitate abused animals, including ex-dairy cows, ex-factory farm pigs, and ex-battery chickens. Where possible, we rehome to loving forever homes. For the many animals which cannot be rehomed, we offer a safe space where they can live out the rest of their lives in peace and security, in the company of others of their kind.

The Sanctuary is owned by the Animal Protection Society, Inc., a registered charity. We seek to support both human and animal rights, and are against all forms of oppression. We are pro-feminist, and anti-racist; we oppose sexism, inequality and environmental destruction. We acknowledge local iwi and local hapū as tāngata whenua. We are a space that is vegan for humans.

We promote animal rights and animal liberation through our newsletter, other publicity materials, stalls, fundraising shops, and supporting animal rights conferences. Long-term, we plan to set up an education centre, from which we will run animal rights education programmes for children and adults.

The Animal Protection Society

The Animal Protection Society (APS) is an incorporated society with charitable status set up in May 2006 to provide services and facilities to help animals in need. The Society works towards improving animal welfare directly and via working with other animal welfare groups. We work towards animal liberation. We promote education about animal rights, and fundraise to help animals in need.

Our aims are radical – we are not just into reforming bad conditions for animals, we are into removing the root causes. For example, rather than trying to improving factory farming practices, we work towards a total ban on factory farming, and rather than trying to improve the regulation of animal experiments, we seek an end to all experiments on live animals.

As animal advocates, we promote ethical veganism and vegetarianism. While members, volunteers and visitors must make their own lifestyle choices, we believe that there is a fundamental conflict between trying to help animals and eating them or otherwise exploiting them.

In November 2009, the Animal Protection Society bought 26 acres of land in Ōtaki Forks, and began establishing the Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary. The Society runs the Opportunity for Animals op-shops to fundraise for the Sanctuary and other animal charities.

Opportunity for Animals

The Opportunity for Animals op-shops are charity stores fundraising for animals in need and a project of the Animal Protection Society. We sell good quality secondhand clothing and household goods.

Opportunity for Animals raises funds for the Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary in Ōtaki. Groups we have donated to in the past are: the Cats’ Protection League, the Arapawa Wildlife Sanctuary, and Wellington Animal Rights Network

Opportunity for Animals is actively environmentally aware and makes choices with the environment in mind through:

• recycling
• using healthy cleaning products etc.
• we encourage people to say no to bags (which we only provide recycled)
• we encourage donations, thereby removing waste from going to the landfill
• we give away unsellable goods in the hope others will find a further use for them

Volunteering at the shops

We welcome new volunteers who support the projects of the Animal Protection Society. Volunteers usually do one regular 3-4 hour shift per week. If you are interested in volunteering at Opportunity for Animals please phone Kirsty at the Newtown shop on 04-389-3891 or leave a message and she will return your call.

Support the Sanctuary – Make a Donation

There are many effective and meaningful ways that you can get involved with the sanctuary… and any gift, no matter how small, is always gratefully received. See the different options below.

Make a Direct Donation

To provide a high standard of care for the horses, cows, pigs, sheep, chickens and other animals at the Sanctuary, we need to create safe and secure housing and enclosures, and we also need to install a major new drainage system. The materials to do this are often costly, so we welcome donations.

Donate directly into the Animal Protection Society bank account:

Kiwibank 38 9005 0324267 00

– email us too so that we can thank you and send you a receipt.

Please note that unfortunately we can no longer take cheques as our bank will not accept these after 28 February 2020.

The Animal Protection Society is a registered charity, and all donations are tax-deductible.

Help with our wishlist

• Native tree seedlings
• Fruit tree and vegetable seedlings
• Gardening and maintenance tools
• Wheelbarrows
• Bark chips for paths around the house area
• Water troughs
• Corrugated iron
• Fenceposts
• A house truck or caravan to use on site as accommodation

Become a Friend of the Sanctuary

Make a monthly donation to provide the continuous funding we need to support animals throughout the year.

Make a bequest to help animals

Through your will you can leave a gift to the Animal Protection Society that will help animals in a very practical sense long after you have passed away.

Support the Sanctuary – Volunteer

There are many creative and meaningful ways that you can get involved with the sanctuary. Offering the gift of your time can be extremely fulfilling, so please explore the options below. We’d love to hear from you!

Stay at the Sanctuary

We welcome live-in workers who are prepared to volunteer with us for at least a month in exchange for food, accommodation and animal caresses.

We especially seek those with skills in animal care, construction, gardening or fundraising.

We have lots of interest in these positions so we can’t guarantee you a place. However we’d still love to hear from you!

Sanctuary Support Crew

Live in the city but want to get your regular country fix? Then sign up to the Sanctuary Support Crew, get your gumboots on and come and cuddle the animals with us.

We need regular volunteers to help with routine chores around the Sanctuary. These tasks will vary from season to season but could include infrastructure projects, gardening and animal care.

Volunteers should be prepared to work independently, outdoors and in all weather conditions. The work can be physically demanding so volunteers are required to be at least 18 years old or accompanied by a legal guardian.

We ask you to commit to working at least once a month on an ongoing basis.