Sponsoring animals?

[farthing]

In the near future we are looking at setting up a sponsorship scheme for our sanctuary animals, obviously our own pets will not be included and always paid for by ourselves. I was discussing it with a friend and said I was wondering about putting the ex-commercial ducks ( which were bought from a sale) and any ex free range/ battery hens we took in for sponsorship. My friend got very agrressive and said she would never support a sanctuary that did this because they were encouraging intensive farming. I have to say, I was quite hurt and we have never said we are a political organisation. As far as I can see intensive farming for eggs is never going to stop and we just want to give the chance of a longer life to these birds, when they would have been culled at 18 months. We also bought Sally, the sheep, from a sale as she looked terribly ill and was going to be used for breeding again for a couple of years before being culled, and my friend is dead against this. We were not considering putting her up for sponsorship, but may well buy others to remove them from a bad situation, but what do people think about this.
Opinions please.

[dandysmom]

I personally agree with you 100%, think it's a wonderful idea! Of course intensive farming is never going to stop, but if even a few birds escape from that treadmill and live out their life naturally ....... I think your friend is way off base there, If you decide to go the sponsorship way, please let me know; I'd be pleased to help.

[calismum]

One of my hens is ex batt and I have her for exactly the same reason as you - to let her have a natural and enjoyable life.

I have often, over the years, rescued or assisted to rescue various animals - all to give them, in our opinions, a better life.

I can understand your friends argument but cannot agree that by not giving a battery hen a good life or rescuing a lice riddden pony from a sale or a ewe with scab that it will somehow stop it happening - if only it were that easy.

From the posts of yours that I have read you give a numberof animals a great end to their lifes and please don't stop that because of the views of others. Be true to yourself and your animals. Like DM - I would love to sponsor if you go that way.

Good luck.

[Shelley123]

I agree with what your shelter is doing 100%
If you rescue a Bird or animal and give it decent quality of life how can that be wrong. What is wrong is battery hens and flogging animals into the ground. By not rescuing you are not going to stop it.
Keep up the good work, i admire you

[farthing]

Thanks for the input, I feel a bit more reassured about my thoughts.
We are over the next week starting to update our website and highlight the animals available for sponsorship. The more I think about my friend's comments the less I understand them, she's not vegan so any eggs she eats will be from a commercial situation, and isn't that perpetuating the industry?
every rescue animal we take in is, in effect, perpetuating the pet trade.

As was said by somebody else, as long as we are honest about the animals it is surely up to the individual to decide whether they want to support us.