Sanctuary Under The Stars

20/10/2026

CALENDARS COMING SOON!!
With medical, hay and big project bills piling up, we had been trying to think of what else we could do to to raise funds for the animals. Then Sam contacted us.

Some of you may remember the fencing and rural work guru and everyday hero Sam Clark from Rural Services who has already done so much to help our rescue but also many others in the community too. And he has done it again. Completely umpromted or unasked, Sam reached out to see if we wanted to sell calendars as a fundraiser, and if he could help by covering all the production costs so that 100% of the proceeds go back to the animals and community.

So, we are putting together photos and stories for each month and we are super excited to hopefully start selling calendars very very soon.

We are still finalising the details but aiming to get that done as soon as possible so we can start posting them out. Calendars will be $20 each (plus postage) and, thanks to the amazing Sam Clark, 100% of that (minus post) will go straight to helping animals in need.

These would make fantastic gifts for the holiday season, or just a practical and adorable wall art for next year. We will post all the details soon but if you would like to pre - order, you absolutely can, message us your address and details and we will put you on our list.

We are so so so grateful for the incredible community who make it possible for us to provide a safe haven and look after rescue animals in need.

#2027

04/10/2026

OCEAN EYES
Batty quietly came over to rest her soft sweet head on my knees and for a moment, the world was just the two of us. Sharing thoughts and stories and love without needing to say a word. I am so grateful she is safe.

Happy Snoot Sunday!!!

03/10/2026

🐔 TARANAKI
3 DAYS TO GO!
200 HENS

16 MONTHS OLD

The countdown is on for a very rapid hen rescue and these beautiful girls need their forever homes! ❤️

If you’re in Taranaki and would love to give some of these hens a safe, happy home, we’d love to hear from you.

🏡 Want to adopt?
Please send through:
📸 Photos of your hen house
📸 Photos of your hen area
📱 Contact phone number

Please note: An adoption donation does apply
And an adoption agreement is required.

Collection point: Rural Inglewood

Let’s find these girls the loving forever homes they deserve! 🐔🌱❤️

14/09/2026

MISSY AND DORIS.... There is something about their story that seems to tug on my heart.

A fee weeks ago, we got the call about Missy, an older deaf/blind pig who had been left behind when her owners had gone into a dementia care home. Missy was running out of options so the landowner who had been caring for her reached out and we were determined to keep her safe.

We posted Missy's story in the hopes of finding her a forever family and, after years of loneliness, find her a friend.

Then a lovely woman reached out to us. She had adopted 2 young kunekunes to be friends for her older girl Doris, but despite trying all the tricks to integrate them, the cheeky little girls were constantly bullying her so they got their own paddocks but Doris was still alone.

It seemed so meant to be that these two girls would find each other. It was a long drive for poor Missy on our rescue wheels but she settled in well and, after a week of sniffing through the fence, Doris and Missy are now together, content in each others' company and lounging side by side in the sun.

Thank you so much to Doris' mum for reaching out to us, opening her home to Missy and making it possible for these sweet old girls to find each other

With love

08/09/2026

We have been very quiet on here because behind the scenes has been incredibly full on. Honestly, the last month threatened to break us financially and I'm not sure how we would have got through it without The Pup and Sourcer 🥹🙏🏼🥹❤️I also dont know how to thank them but these people are unsung genuine heroes who have saved so many lives keeping rescues running around the motu. With their help, we were able to finish most of the vehicle repairs and use the float to save a sweet sweet piggy 🐽from a very dark fate, restock on hay🐮 to keep our big kiddos fed and healthy and commit to a big hen rescue next month🐔🐔🐔.

Thank you Pup and Sourcer for helping to keep us on our feet during one of the most financially challenging and emotionally trying months we have had - and for your undying patience with my poor social media skills through it - I promise I am working on this!

You guys are genuine heroes, arohanui ki a koutou from us and from all the animals!!!

I have a few other unsung heroes to thank so keep posted for some more updates as I can find time to sit and write.

For now, please please show your love and support to The Pup and Sourcer. They run a second hand shop purely set up to help animal rescues who need it most and I hope they know how many lived they have saved with the incredible mahi they do out of the goodness of their hearts

Hey team! Guess what…

🐾 ANOTHER $2,000 DONATED! 🐾

We’re so happy to have been able to fundraise and hand over another $2k to our friends at Sanctuary Under The Stars to help get their vehicles back on the road! 🚐❤️

We had originally planned to donor match, but decided to keep things simple and get the money to them as quickly as we could. 🥰 A huge thank you to everyone who supports The Pup and Sourcer by buying, donating, sharing and cheering us on. Every sale really does make a difference.

Now… who needs us next?

Are there any NZ rescues or animal welfare projects that are desperately in need of a helping hand? Is there a fundraiser that needs a boost, a project that’s struggling to get off the ground, or something urgent that we could help with?

Please tag them below or share their fundraiser with us! 👇 We’d love to find our next project and see where Prince the Pup can help next. 🐶❤️

23/08/2026

SPECIAL HOME NEEDED FOR MISSY THE PIG
-Location: Northland but can travel to Auckland for the right home
- Contact: 02040280434
Missy is urgently needing to find her forever home after her owner got dementia and left her on the property. The new property owner has health issues and is unable to care for her.

Missy is believed to be around 8-10 years old. She is at least partly deaf and blind but you wouldn't know kt as she gets around very well. She doesnt dig much and is very friendly.

Her ideal home would be someone who has lots of love to give, good fencing, paddocks that are easy to navigate and a proper house/barn for shelter.

An existing pig friend would be a happy bonus or being willing to adopt a friend for her as pigs are super social so she will need a companion. Introducing pigs MUST be done carefully with a paddock divider so that they can get used to each others smells first.

Please share this and get in touch if you think Missy would be a good fit for your family. She cannot be used for breeding and we are looking for a safe forever home 💕

02040280434

23/08/2026

Comfort food (and meds) for our brave boy 2 days post op.

22/08/2026

BEAUTIFUL DREAMER - Our sweet brave Moony boy fighting again.

Yesterday Moony lost his right eye.

Moony was first diagnosed with eye cancer two and a half years ago. He had a surgery to remove the lesions on his third eyelids. The vets were able to get clean margins and he has stayed on homeopathic preventative medicine all this time but, last week, we noticed new cancer activity and had him assessed. After treatment to rule out infection, the vet diagnosed him with squamous cell carcinoma attacking the skin around his eye. This kind of cancer is very aggressive and grows deep into the tissues. It is very common in moo kids with with unpigmented (white) skin and with genetic predisposition due to breeding.

Because it was caught early, the vet was able to operate but there was no way to remove the cancer without also taking his eye. There is no garuantee it wont be back within a couple months but the vet says there is also a really good chance the margins were clear and he is now cancer free.

Please pray or think to whoever or whatever force you beleive in that the surgery was successful with no cancer cell left. This incredibly special and brave soul deservess many many more happy years finding wonder in all the little things surrounded by love.

On that note...

Moony is 6 years old. His Mama, Mutti, didnt leave his side for one minute during surgery.

When the reversal drugs kicked in and he was awake enough to get up, her face was the one he sought out.

When I went to see him as darkness fell, Mutti was standing over him. Nuzzling him gently with a fierce protective love written all over her face.

I dont think there are words to describe the strength and resillience of a mother who has had child after child ripped away. It took a very long time for Mutti to trust us, or to trust that we wouldnt take Moony away from her. But, even when she thought she would lose him, Mutti chose to love her son for every second of his life.

That takes a very special kind of strength- and a very special kind of love.

I want Moony to live for Moony, and for us, and because the world is a bettter place with him in it.

I also desperately want him to live so that his mother never has to grieve another child.

I have been truly humbled by the courage and love and heartbreaking grief of the mama cows in my life.

In the face of everything I have witnessed over the years, I cannot for a minute beleive the myth that cows are bad mothers...

This post is for our brave sweet little dreamer boy and his beloved Mama.

Praying for the easiest possible recovery and no more cancer!!!!