Five Star Shearing, Zero Harming

        OUR STORY 

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WHO ARE WE? 

Farm Animal Rescue Sanctuary, aka FARS, is a non-profit making organisation. 100% of our profits are used to care for rescued animals from abuse and neglect and to maintain and improve the site. 

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide a safe and peaceful environment where rescued animals can remain for the rest of their lives.

We raise awareness diplomatically about the endless issues linked with the present welfare of farm animals. Through our own campaigns, social media, site visits, events and educational talks we hope to make a difference, being a voice for these sentient beings, who have been deemed worthless for far too long.

Unlike larger charities we have no reserves of money and are always desperately short of funds. We are solely dependant on the support and generosity of a sympathetic public to help us run the sanctuary.

WHAT ARE WE RAISING MONEY FOR? 

Chilled winter months finally replaced by pleasant spring mornings and summer slowly approaching... This can only mean one thing. Every year, when the cold winter is officially over and the weather starts turning warmer, the annual shearing of our sheep is about to begin! 

This relieves the sheep of their year-old coats in time to keep them cool and comfortable for the summer, giving them plenty of time to grow a coat that's long and heavy for the winter.

There are 450 (+/-) sheep at FARS and the price of their hair cut, together with their flystrike treatment, costs the sanctuary £3,300. It will be a week long project commencing 7th June. £5.50 is the cost per sheep plus a £15/hr wrapping charge on top of that. We use a professional, compassionate shearer who cares about animal welfare. He takes extra care to minimise stress to the sheep and more time to avoid cuts and other injuries which could be caused during the shearing process. 

On average, the sanctuary needs £2500 every week just to cover the costs of hay, straw and other animal feed, as well as expenses such as rent and bills for electricity, water, vet bills and more. 

Finding additional £3300 for shearing is very difficult every year, yet absolutely necessary and unavoidable. 

BREAKDOWN OF SHEARING COSTS:

450 sheep x £5.50 = £2,475 (shearing + flystrike treatment) 

Wrapping charge/1 day: 8 hrs/day x £15 = £120 

Wrapping charge/whole week: £120 x 7 = £840

Total = £3,315

The amount we receive in government funding = £0

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND US:

THE IMPORTANT ONES

Carole 

The woman who started it all. The woman who once came home with one lamb and years later ended up with hundreds. Meet Carole Webb - the hero that dedicated her entire life to animals and never gave up on them, despite the challenges her and FARS have had to face over the past 33 years. Carole is a true inspiration to her team and together they make sure every animal is loved and treated with kindness and respect every single day. 

The Animals

Today, there are over 450 animals at our sanctuary. Mostly sheep, but also pigs, chickens, 1 bull, rabbits, birds, stray cats and many more. Before the doors of FARS had opened, majority of these animals knew nothing but neglect, loneliness, cruelty, starvation and abandonment. There was something missing in their lives - Love & Care. Only a small fraction of them were loved pets that sadly could no longer be looked after, but now, they are all living a happy life beside each other, which is exactly what they all truly deserve.

Our Team

We are a close-knit family of volunteers who get out of bed every day determined to make a difference to the lives of emotionally and physically broken animals. 

Our team represents people from all type of professions and backgrounds. We are all individual and have unique strengths and we all bring something different to the table. Our jobs are divided between us all. Every person plays a vital and very important part in their role and together we create the perfect team. 

You! 

Let's not forget about YOU - our wonderful supporters! We thank every single one of you for being here for us, for all your lovely words, likes, comments, donations, photos, visits and all the incredible support you have shown us over the years. Whether you are new to us or have been following our journey from the start, you are equally as important to us and thanks to all your help, our animals are safe. 

About the shearer

The shearer's name is Mike Hewson. Mike is very compassionate about his job, is calm and patient and never looses his temper either. Our small team is always present to make sure our woolie friends are as stress free as possible and handled with care. 

Mike spends most of his time shearing pet sheep and small flocks and has previously sheared at other sanctuaries too (you can visit his website here but please mind that he is fully booked up and unable to take on new customers): https://www.sheepshearermike.co.uk/

Mike travels to us all the way from Horncastle in Lincolnshire and has been shearing at FARS for years. 

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... And here is our gorgeous Spud before and after his annual summer hair trim :-) 

WHY COMPASSIONATE SHEARING? 

Sheep shearing is very important and it must be practiced for the health and hygiene of each individual animal. If a sheep goes too long without being shorn, a number of problems occur. The excess wool impedes the ability of sheep to regulate their body temperatures, which can cause sheep to become overheated and die. 

In an ideal world, shearing shouldn't hurt sheep. It's just like getting a hair cut. However, shearing requires skill so that the sheep is shorn efficiently and quickly without causing cuts or injury. In reality, commercial shearing can however be a very different scenario. 

In standard practise, sheep are sheared at a very limited time. Usually 2 minutes per sheep. Sheep are purposely stepped on and are shorn bloody. Some can be so stressed by the experience that they die on the shearing floor. Shearing requires sheep to be handled multiple times (mustering, yarding, and penning), which is very stressful to them. In addition, shearing itself is an acute stressor. The potential for pain is present where sheep are wounded or injured during the process. And that is exactly why we chose to find someone who truly cares about the welfare of animals and takes special care when it comes to shearing. 

HOW CAN YOU HELP? 

• Donate if you are able to - every single donation, no matter the size, will be a huge help to us! We understand it's been a difficult year and circumstances have changed for many of you so only give if you can. 
• Your voice - as much as your donations are important, we need your voice! And so, if you can't give financially, please spread the word about our project far and wide to help us reach as many people as possible. Share our project across your social media and tell EVERYONE about us! 
• Press - do you know anyone who might be interested in our story and would like to write about us? Let them know as press always gets people talking! 

WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU! 

Over the years, we have raised some incredibly important funds for our sanctuary and we truly thank you for all your continuous support. Thanks to you, in only the past year, we were able to raise enough to upgrade our pig pens and improve some of the pathways around the sanctuary, repair our tractor and secure much needed food for our animals. This was only possible because of you. 

We wish to say a huge thank you to you all who haven't forgotten about us and who have supported us through thick and thin, as well as those who are yet to be there for us in the future. 

THANK YOU! 

Carole, her team and all the animals x x x 

Look at these two handsome boys with their summer trims from the previous years - Bart (top photo) and our three-legged Rodney. Don't they look beautiful? 

#alllivesareprecious

Photography: Charlotte Chapman-McNicholas, James Carro Srn