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Willow
Willow is Leya’s daughter, so she has only known sanctuary life. She has had a blessed life. She is very close to her mum, but closer in fact to Neptune. She is very sure of herself and confident, very loving – she will walk into you to get your attention. Willow’s favourite pastime is playing and getting in the way of all the other animals, she is completely care-free! But she absolutely loves her uncle Neptune. You have our deepest gratitude for choosing to support our sanctuary and helping us to care for our precious residents. Thank you for being one of ‘the best people’!
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The Friendly Family
The Friendly Family is made up of Belle and Sebastian (mum and dad), Charles, Tom, Florence, Ingrid and Rose from one litter and Phoebe from a previous litter. They are all incredibly loving and loyal to each other. It is a joy to be in their enclosure. They won’t necessarily come up for attention but they are inquisitive and very peaceful to be around. Mum and Dad are fantastic parents; they look after their children incredibly well and there is a strong sense of family unity. You have our deepest gratitude for choosing to support our sanctuary and helping us to care for our precious residents. Thank you for being…
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Teddy
Teddy is a cross mangalitsa-duroc pig. Teddy is the brother of Little Bean and Bess. He came to us from an organic farm, free-range, so had never been treated for anything at all so when he first arrived he was hideously covered in lice, to the point that touching him they would run up your arm. He was slightly underweight, but very loving. Right from the start, Teddy has been a teddy bear, hence his name. He has grown into a magnificent little man of around 90 kilos. He will be the first person to come if you sit in the garden, he will come and lie on you. He…
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Rose
Rose is Belle and Sebastian’s daughter and also Phoebe, Charles and the rest of the friendly family herd’s sister. She is incredibly loving and inquisitive. Very gentle, she will be the first to come to see anyone who walks near the enclosure. She is the first to come to see you when you are cleaning there, with the broom or rake, she will come and sniff and wait for a cuddle. Rose is a member of our family of Vietnamese pigs – Belle and Sebastian’s family. We leave them to interact as a normal family, with the least amount of contact and intervention; we just guard them from afar. You…
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Pip
Pip faced the fate of many guinea pigs. He was a pet, unwanted by children and passed on for rehoming. He came from the UK. We have other guinea pigs, too, rescued from France because they are overbred, and because people constantly change their minds. Those that are not rehomed or find sanctuary quickly are often eaten in France. You have our deepest gratitude for choosing to support our sanctuary and helping us to care for our precious residents. Thank you for being one of ‘the best people’!
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Holly
Holly came from a farm that was fattening her up to go to slaughter. Holly broke her leg so she walked a little lame and it looks awkward. Her leg was plastered so that she would be able to walk up the ramp of the slaughter lorry. All animals have to be able to make their own way to their death. We asked the vet if was worth operating but he did not wish to expose her to further trauma. She was relinquished to us on the day of her slaughter because the farmer had a change of heart. You have our deepest gratitude for choosing to support our sanctuary…
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Hiona
Hiona was a French dog, and she came from near Clermont Ferrand. Hiona was victim of a divorce. Sometimes people fight over custody of a pet; the family split and she was no longer wanted. She was incredibly skittish and unable to walk on a lead at all. We didn’t know why she was so nervous because it appeared that she came from a loving home, but she was still incredibly hand shy, no matter what we did. Meet Hiona one of the happy residents of the Big V vegan animal sanctuary in the Haute Vienne France, read her story and find out how to help
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Finn
Finn came to us from near the Belgian border, another victim of a relationship break up. Neither could agree who would have the dog so they drove to a carpark and gave him to us. He had to be lifted into our car. There are many forms of neglect, and he had been overfed to the extent that he could not run at all, although he was still a puppy. However, he got into our car boot and he never looked back, he never pined, never waited for his owners. You have our deepest gratitude for choosing to support our sanctuary and helping us to care for our precious residents.…
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The Chicken Crew
Chickens are intelligent and sensitive birds who may live up to 11 years in their natural environment. They love dust baths and the bathing helps to ward off parasites as well as maintain their feather insulation. Mother hens talk to their unborn babies, and they chirp back through their shells. Chickens know who’s boss. Just like us, they form social structures, known as “pecking orders”, and all chickens know their place on the ladder. They dream just like we do, experiencing REM (rapid eye movement) during sleep. These chickens at our sanctuary, who were rescued from imminent slaughter and in a terrible condition with very few feathers, now love to…
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Bess
Bess was born at an organic farm that kept pure bred mangalitsas. The farmer did not want Bess because she and her siblings, Little Bean and Teddy, were cross-bred, so the farmer did not want them near his other stock for fear that they would contaminate the blood line. The farmer’s children were going to keep the piglets as pets but then changed their mind. So Bess and her family arrived to us completely infested with mites. It was pretty horrific. The organic farmer’s ethos was that he did not either treat or feed his pigs. He just let them into the forest to fend for themselves. If they became…
