Providing A Forever Home For 49 Rescue Animals

Hi, my name is Rach (that's me on the left of the header photo with Emrys on the right) and, together with my partner, I run Home in the Hills Animal Sanctuary based in Wales. Home in the Hills has been privately funded (mainly by me) for the past six years and over that time we've provided love, food, rehabilitation and medical support (where needed) to a wide variety of animals including Welsh Mountain Ponies and horses as well as ex-commercial animals including pigs, chickens, goats and sheep. In order to keep doing this I must secure the land we call home and to do that I need to raise £20,000 by close of business Monday 11th December 2023 [ADDITIONAL EDIT (08.12.23). Well, we were supposed to complete on Friday 8th December but monies were still flying around the ether and it just didn't happen. However, all parties are saying we'll be able to complete on Monday 11th December. Some leeway is being given to me re: any missing funds to ensure we do complete and gain that all important 9 months to confirm a mortgage which will mean safety and security for all our animal family. I'll keep keeping you informed...]. That will give me the all-important time to finalise a mortgage securing the land for our family of 49 animals for the rest of their lives and, in time, to add to that number as we build more stables providing shelter and warmth whatever the Welsh weather has in store for us! (Only yesterday I was asked to take in two bonded senior ponies and a senior horse. The need is real and, if anything, it continues to grow.)

Photo above: Billy Horse and Pikachu Pony grooming each other (photograph taken by Alix Akasha https://www.facebook.com/LumierePhotographyUK)

Some of our animals are fortunate in that they've never known anywhere other than Home in the Hills. Take, for example, Ma Pig and her 'piglets' - they will be five years old this month but they will forever be piglets to us. They arrived here when they were quite literally just hours old and have lived here ever since. Nelson, Merlin, Percy, Sparky, Arya, Gwendolyn, Patch, Pip and Tamsin LOVE cuddles, belly scratches, food and snoozing (not necessarily in that order!). They free range across 10 acres of Welsh hillside and have just had the most incredible September/October as the acorns fell from the stand of ancient oaks that form part of their fields. Hazelnut production was also high this year so that reduced their food bill for a while!

Photo above: Ma Pig and the piglets when they first arrived here with us five years ago this month. They are all the size of Ma (or just about now as the next phots shows!).

Photo above: Top - Pip Pig and bottom - Arya Pig relaxing in one of their fields after a busy morning exploring and eating a prolonged breakfast!

Others have come to us after experiencing loss, fear and pain. Emrys is our majestic and gentle Welsh Mountain Pony. My partner saw a Facebook post which said, "Can we find this boy a home before Friday when he will otherwise be shot?". We reached out and heard about how his lifelong home was now under threat due to his human's terminal illness. His friend for over 20 years had been rehomed but there was no room for him. His photo showed him standing on a small piece of concrete, head down and alone. He had all but given up. We got in touch with the lady who was trying to help him who ran a small rescue of her own but who had literally no space to put him and offered Emrys a home... on one condition; that he came with a new friend so he would no longer be alone. It wouldn’t be the friend he had lost but it would be so much better than being in a field all on his own (horses are herd animals after all). They were delighted! Pikachu had been born at their rescue and had been returned once already due to the costs involved in having a pony. Emrys and Pikachu were introduced to each other and despite the almost 15 year age gap between them became firm friends. They were our very first residents and we couldn't imagine life without them!

Photo above: Beautiful friends Emrys (left) and Pikachu (right)

Well, I could go on all day telling you stories about our beautiful friends and our plans for Home in the Hills Animal Sanctuary... but first things first. Will you become part of our journey and help our family stay together in this fabulous home? Will you help to ensure that Ma Pig and her piglets, Emrys and Pikachu and all our animals don't ever need to move home again? In return for your help I'll keep you updated via our monthly enewsletter sharing the latest news, stories from the animals and lots and lots of photos (just share your email address with me at the time of making the donation and I'll do the rest).

... Just a couple of last photos for you!

Photo above: Connor Goat in the foreground with his six buddies behind him free ranging across the top 10 acres

Photo above: (Top) Robin the Sheep and (bottom) Larry Lamb. Robin came to us very poorly along with his friend Tyrion who, very sadly, didn't make it. He is the most loving, adorable sheep you could ever wish to meet and loves cuddles and fusses (and food... let's not forget the food!)

Photo above: Some of our fabulous ladies (we've got 15 in all). This lot came from an organic, free range chicken farm but previously we've had caged chickens and barn raised chickens come to us. They are all, without exception, curious ladies with a lot to say for themselves! They are incredible company and we love them all dearly.

Thank you so very, very much for taking the time to read all about our fundraiser and I look forward to welcoming you into the Home in the Hills Animal Sanctuary family.

All our love,

Rach & The Gang

x

P.S. You can find out more and follow us here: https://www.facebook.com/HomeintheHillsAnimalSanctuary

Photo above: A full rainbow stretching across Home in the Hills Animal Sanctuary: providing a happy ever after for companion and commercially farmed animals x