How I started an animal sanctuary

When Shawn Bishop, 50, created her animal sanctuary north of Auckland, she knew it was her destiny.

“I’ve known my life’s purpose since day one. I’m an animal person. Not only did I know it, but I was lucky enough to be in a position to go after it. My husband Michael was a huge part of that. He used to say, ‘My dream is making your dream come true’.

“In my 40s I was a corporate girl in senior management in Auckland. We had everything: a nice house, financial security, great friends – but something was missing. I would sit in the hot tub at night and get a bit teary because I didn’t feel fulfilled. Eventually we decided to make a change. With a clear goal and a lot of hard work, things started happening. We could almost hear the universe shifting gears!

“The first rescued donkeys arrived at our new property near Matakana half an hour before we moved in. We’ve now been operating for seven years. When we arrived there were no birds in the bush, just silence. Now it’s full of bird life. The Sanctuary is a haven for rescued and abused animals and injured native birds. We have also rescued and found new homes for nearly 600 battery hens and have recently become SPCA BirdWing affiliates.

“It is bizarre how injured animals find us. One time Michael was deep in the bush on our almost-13 hectares when a tui flew down and landed on his arm. It had an injured eye which we were able to treat, then we released it back into the wild. Then there was a duck with a backward leg who just arrived and once we fixed its leg it went off again.

“We can have 100 animals in our care at any given time which is a huge amount of work for one couple. Providing the native birds with a complete diet is very time consuming. Each day we make a massive fruit salad for the injured kereru and a complete nectar for the tui. We are working toward self-sufficiency as we go through enough fruit and vegetables to qualify as a small restaurant!

“We have made The Sanctuary sustainable by being part of the Willing Workers on Organic Farms community as well as having a few volunteers. These astounding people do all sorts of things from cleaning out cages to designing our website and brochures. A few supporters who can’t give their time make donations to The Sanctuary Charitable Trust. We try not to ask a lot of anybody but a little bit of combined help goes a long way. The Sanctuary is closed to the public but we are always open to our supporters. We like to share our dream and make it accessible to them.

“It is bittersweet when we find new homes for rescued animals and although it’s what we’re all about, I often shed a tear when we release native birds back into the wild. I wish they could send a post card to let us know they’re safe. But we’re lucky that some come back and visit.

“I don’t get teary in the hot tub any more. I literally walk around saying ‘thank you, thank you’ – I’m not sure who to – but I’m wearing a big grin and am living the life I was actually meant to live.” 

Interview by Rosalind Le Bas Walker.