Farm-Animal Sanctuary in Wellington, New Zealand

Details

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  Description

  Kia ora! We are a vegan farm animal sanctuary in Ōtaki, just over an hour drive from Wellington, New Zealand. Every day we care for over 200 animals (ponies, cows, goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, cats, bunnies and more) who have been abandoned, injured or mistreated.
  
  We are looking for people, either single or couples, to come and join us for a minimum of a month. If you are the right fit there might be a more permanent place for you – some people choose to stay for a year or more.
  
  Please only apply if you are vegetarian or vegan (you would be expected to eat vegan whilst at the sanctuary). We are hoping to find people who shares our commitment to animals and the environment and who we can connect with ethically. Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans/Queer+ friendly is essential.
  
  We have a lot of inquiries so a priority is always given to activists and people with passion around the environment, human rights, animal rights and other social concerns. We consider ourselves feminists and anarchists. If you are a cis male person please only apply if you share these values.
  To finance the Sanctuary, we run 2 op-shops. As part of your volunteering with us you might occasionally be asked to help with these or our yearly fundraising markets if you are volunteering in March.
  We have a variety of accommodation including house trucks, sleepouts, a caravan and a shared house, all with heating. You will not be expected to share your accommodation/room with others, you will get your own space. We provide food and depending on the season some food grows on site. You would be expected to do communal cooking for yourself and the other volunteers, Everyone is rostered to cook about once a week.
  We would love to meet friendly, independent volunteers who aren't afraid to get muddy and learn new skills. Some days can feel long, and we work hard in all weather conditions. The animals need to be fed and cared for no matter what! But we always aim to have fun and support each other along the way.
  
  Workaway:
  
  We have been hosting volunteers for over a decade and the extra help has been crucial to our success. Volunteer stays are a minimum of one month and involve working about 5 hours a day in exchange for food and accommodation. Sadly, shorter stays are not possible due to the training involved. We also have a maximum stay of three months for our Workaway volunteers, but if you are enjoying your time here and become inspired to level-up your skills, you are welcome to apply to become an animal care intern and stay longer! Throughout your stay as a Workaway volunteer you will help with tasks including:
  • Preparing animal feed
  • Feeding animals
  • Cleaning animal environments
  • Cleaning communal spaces
  • Weeding, planting
  
  Volunteering here is often a highlight of people’s time in New Zealand. We aim to create a welcoming and fun atmosphere where you get to spend time with rescued animals and experience living amongst other animal-loving individuals. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer we look forward to hearing from you!
  
  Animal Care Internships:
  
  Animal care internships are a great opportunity for those with previous sanctuary experience, or those hoping to work with animals or start their own animal sanctuary in the future! We do not charge for internships and they work much the same as Workaway volunteering. We offer a unique, hands-on learning experience caring for a variety of animals, each with their own rescue story and care considerations. Internships are a minimum of one month and will provide you with a variety of skills that are essential for caring for rescued animals.
  
  • Preparing animal feed
  • Feeding animals
  • Cleaning animal environments
  • Day to day maintenance of the sanctuary
  • Assisting with medical tasks
  • Animal enrichment
  • Observing animal behaviour
  
  We welcome individuals who are passionate about caring for animals and who are a good fit for our sanctuary to stay longer than a month. Some of our previous crew members have chosen to stay as long as one year! There is so much to learn at our sanctuary and the longer you stay, the more skills and information you are able to take away with you. Depending on the length of your stay there are additional learning outcomes including medications, animal first aid, volunteer coordination and much more!
  
  There is so much to learn about running an animal sanctuary and caring for animals, and we are excited to share our project with passionate, motivated, hard-working individuals! It is essential that interns and volunteers can communicate effectively, receive feedback well, follow oral and written instructions, and bring a positive attitude. Many of the tasks at the sanctuary are physical and involve walking and lifting, so be prepared to spend a few hours on your feet each day. If this all sounds great to you and you think you would make an excellent animal care intern or volunteer, then please get in touch!
  
  When you get in touch please indicate if you are interested in being a standard Workaway volunteer or interested in a free internship position.
  Please also include the dates you are interested in staying.
  Thanks! We look forward to hearing from you 😊

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  A great opportunity to spend time with animals in a beautiful area. Nearby river walks and fantastic river swimming plus 10 mins drive to the beach.

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  Help

  Tasks include animal feeding, animal care, fencing, tree planting, gardening, animal shelter building, communal cooking, sometimes baking and cooking for market stalls as well as occasionally helping in our fundraising opshop Opportunity for animals

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  A bedroom in the communal house, a sleepout, caravan or housetruck all with heating

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  What else ...

  We sometimes have a spare car available for use for those with a full drivers license over the age of 25

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  5 hours per day, 5 days a week

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