About the Big V Sanctuary
Our Mission
Our vision is to create a peaceful world for all living beings; a world built on justice and respect, regardless of species.
Our passion is to enable each individual in our care to live a long and fulfilling life within a safe, caring and compassionate environment.
Our aim is to educate those whom we reach about animal rights in conjunction with other social justice movements.
Our goal is to treat every resident as we would wish to be treated; and when the natural time comes for them to leave this world we seek to ensure that they are pain-free, calm and surrounded by love.
In essence our mission is to RESCUE, REHABILITATE and EDUCATE.
History
Big V Sanctuary was founded in 2011, although, in common with many sanctuaries, some of its residents had been rescued and cared for before the decision was made to become an official haven for victims of the meat, dairy and egg industries. In 2016, Big V became a fully-fledged Association under the French law for non-profit organisations: the Loi Association 1901. As the years have passed more and more abused individuals have found their way to this peaceful place and have been given sanctuary.
Who we are
We are a vegan animal sanctuary based in Châteauponsac, France; we are a registered non-profit association. Our founders, Miranda Elliott and Jerome Dudognon, along with their young children, run the sanctuary and care full-time for the 60+ residents. The residents comprise mostly rescued farmed animals and there are some companion animals. All the residents have been rescued from abuse, neglect, mistreatment or imminent slaughter and they bear both the physical and emotional scars of their past lives.
Miranda, Jerome and their children are active animal advocates who fight for animal rights in conjunction with other social justice movements and believe that veganism is a moral imperative.
What we do
We rescue farmed animals and offer them care, love and peace at our sanctuary. We treat them with dignity and respect for the individual personalities that they are. Since many of our residents are former victims of abuse and neglect in the meat, dairy and egg industries, we nurse them back to health, caring for both their physical and emotional injuries. We also offer refuge to companion animals, enabling them to recover from mistreatment. Where it is appropriate to the individual we find safe, loving foster homes where they can spend the rest of their lives.
We also offer a hospice to terminally ill companion and farmed animals, as we believe strongly that no one should die alone without friends. This service is also offered to people who find staying with their animal too difficult near the end. We guarantee there will be someone with them right until the last moment.
Volunteering and visiting
We invite visitors to the sanctuary thereby allowing people to connect with the animals. By meeting and interacting with the residents, visitors can more easily appreciate them as sentient individuals, each with their own characters. We invite people to spend time with us, help us, work with us. By doing this our volunteers can better understand the extent of the commitment of becoming an animal guardian.
At special events throughout the year we offer open invitations to eat a special plant-based meal with us at the sanctuary garden cafe. Our goal is to advance veganism and encourage others to appreciate that all life is beautiful and precious.