Foster an Animal
You can foster an animal by clicking the "Foster Me" button next to each animal's name. You will receive personal updates from your chosen animal itself.
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We are delighted that Mac the Mossburn Rabbit now has his own book.
The story follows our very own Mac on a voyage of discovery with the help of Fern the Deer and the Rabbit Rescue Squad, amongst others.
The people at Mossburn
Juanita Wilson (Founder / Volunteer Manager)
Hi my name is Juanita, the abbreviation for Juanita is Juan and as people find that as difficult as the full name I get called Mrs Wilson a lot, I would rather I didn't as I am not a very formal person! The question everyone asks me is "what made you start a sanctuary?" The truthful answer to that is that I never started out to do so, the whole thing just happened and evolved. Many years ago now it became known locally that I was approachable when people got into difficulties with horses and ponies and inevitably a very sick pony called Merlin arrived on my doorstep one day as his owners could no longer cope with him (Photo left: this is us back then). I nursed that pony back to health and he is still alive today, retired but much loved. As a direct result of Merlin's arrival I decided to get a committee together and become a charity and that is what I did. At first we were solely an equine charity but when my landlord moved me from the small yard where I lived at the time into the much larger premises of Mossburn things began, with the arrival of five pigs, three geese and three sheep, to take on the shape of how they are today.
I have been horse mad since falling in love with the milkman's pony at the age of about two. I have never been competitive and actually intended to make a career of being a cowgirl in America. I got married instead and had two children! I believe that life is to a degree mapped out for us and I have no doubt at all that what I am doing now is exactly what I am supposed to be doing. Caring for animals is rewarding if sometimes sad work. Trying to make a difference to the way other people think and feel about animals can be very frustrating but I have a saying and it is this; "if one goldfish in a bowl is moved into a tank because of what its owner has learnt by being at Mossburn then we have made a difference and that difference counts."
Recently the press made me choose which two animals I would most hate to lose in the event of a cull here; well it had to be Fran the goat and Joker the heifer but I love all our creatures and I'm grateful that I'm in a position where I am able to take them in and care for them. Another remark often made to me is "if I won the lottery I would start a sanctuary like yours" - I was on the dole when Merlin arrived and started the whole thing off, if you wait until you can afford it, it will never happen!
Victoria McNeil
Hello my name is Victoria but everyone calls me Vicky. I have been at Mossburn now for four years. I first came here through the Skill Seekers programme, I enrolled at the Barony College for their Animal Care course and was given Mossburn as my placement. I was on Skill Seekers for a year and at the end of that year received an NVQ Level 2 in animal care. I left Mossburn on completion of the course and went home, two days later I was back, this time as a volunteer. I had to come back, I missed Mossburn dreadfully and in particular a horse called Bellboy and a dog called Moss. Bellboy has since died, he was 35 years old, and Moss has become my dog. We always had dogs at home because my father is a shepherd but I never had a dog of my own before. My other favourite animals here are Willy the New Zealand Kuna Kuna pig and Dougal the goat, we all love all the animals here but you can't help having a special feeling for some of them.
After I came back to Mossburn as a volunteer I was on the dole but then the New Deal scheme for volunteering came along and I went on it and had a trainer come in and teach me how to use the computer as part of the scheme. It's useful being able to do bits and pieces on the computer but I prefer being outside with the animals. After that scheme finished I was back on the dole until the next scheme came along which is the Environmental Task Force option.
Again I am placed at Mossburn but this time I have to learn things like land and pond management, grass management (it has to be mowed!) a bit of fencing, hedging and walling. It's all very interesting but I still like working with the animals best. Mossburn is a quiet place to be but its fun as well, we all get on together and we all have the same goal which is to care for the animals which come here and need us. I hope that soon Mossburn will be able to afford to keep me on as an employee
Claire and Susan
Claire and Susan both have severe learning difficulties and come to work at Mossburn on a regular basis.
Here is Claire with Preston the rabbit, her favourite animal and Susan who takes charge of her favourites the small furries when she comes to work.
Juanita and friends