Short (ish) Summary – because who has the time to read a long post?!
For my birthday this year, I (Joanna) will be doing a sponsored head shave to help raise funds to support Moonacre Animal Sanctuary in Cyprus. I have been living and working alongside the team and animals for the last few months and witnessed life and love being restored to many animals as well as the monetary struggles that this entails. This is a cause that is very close to me and as much as I love my hair… it’s not as much as I love these animals! My hair will be donated to a charity who makes wigs and all your donations will be hugely appreciated here. Plus if you think of it this way, if we were out celebrating my birthday, it’s courtesy to at least buy the birthday girl a drink. But of course, this isn’t possible right now, so I’d greatly appreciate if you could instead put the beer/cocktail/bottle of the finest champagne money to a greater cause in saving animals’ lives rather than destroying my liver – I can do that on my own!
Please read on for a more detailed description!
I have been living and working in Cyprus at Moonacre Animal Sanctuary for 3 months now and I was due to be back home by now, however I have decided to extend my stay in these trying times. I have built up a lot of affection for the animals who reside at Moonacre, so much so that I am adopting one of their many loving doggos.
Moonacre Sanctuary is a standalone, private animal rescue and sanctuary. They do not receive any external support, financial or otherwise, other than what the public generously donate. The charity of others is what keeps this place and animals afloat.
Moonacre Sanctuary was established back in 2013 as a demand was recognised by an animal loving family for a safe haven for neglected, disabled and sick animals in Cyprus, who are otherwise left for dead, euthanised or caged for the rest of their lives. I have been shocked as the truth about animal welfare in this country is being unveiled to me. And rather than turning a blind eye, as the majority of people appear to do, this bold, dedicated, animal loving family stood up to the mark and took on the grave challenge of supporting as many of the animals in need here in Cyprus as they physically could. This is no ordinary rescue or sanctuary… Typically, rescued animals are cooped up in a cage for the majority of the day and night and let out for brief exercise, with little to no socialisation with other animals or humans. Here however, the dogs live in a pack and have free range of a large orchard and take turns in sleeping in the house, the horses live freely in a herd with the pigs mingling amongst them and the cats all live together harmoniously and get to roam the valley at night when all the dogs are in bed. And they ALL get lots of cuddles and love from the whole team.
The resident animals mean everything to the dedicated team here at Moonacre. Hence I have decided that for my birthday this year, I will shave my head in order to raise funds in aid of supporting the animals in care here at Moonacre Sanctuary. As many of you know, I love my hair and I find a lot of security in it, however I care for these animals far more and they deserve a fighting chance. I was planning to be at a festival in the UK this year for my birthday, however that all went a bit pear shaped and instead, I will be raving it up with the animals in Cyprus and picking up a lot of poop!!! If you imagine that we were celebrating together, going out for a coffee or out for a cocktail or go karting or at a festival or even going to dinner at a Michelin star restaurant… it’s only courtesy for the birthday girl to keep her purse in her pocket, right… let alone to keep the hair on her head! I know that if all of my contacts on facebook alone donated just £1 each, I would double my target in a mere heartbeat. So please, no matter how small or large a donation that you can give, every little will help and be hugely appreciated to improve the lives of these loving animals.
You can find out more information about the animals and their backgrounds with more photos and information on how to adopt and sponsor an animal by visiting ‘Moonacre Sanctuary’ or ‘Sofa Hounds Rescue’ on facebook. You can also follow them on Instagram @moonacresanctuary. Also, by liking and sharing their page and/or this fundraiser, you help to get publicity to an organisation that could do with all the support it can get. Fundrazr takes a small cut of the donations that are collected using this site, so if you wish to donate directly to Moonacre Sanctuary so that even cent goes directly to the animals, please use the PayPal account ‘sixteensofahounds@yahoo.com’ with the reference Joannas hair.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my fundraiser and I hope the animals at Moonacre and I receive your support :)
