OUR MISSION
RESCUE
REHABILITATE
REHOME
EDUCATE & ADVOCACY
Our People
Who Does it
Willow Tree Sanctuary is a registered not-for-profit charity dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating unwanted farm and domestic animals.
We work with farmers, private surrenders and councils to re-home neglected, abused or at-risk animals into loving environments, where they can safely live long and happy lives.
We are committed to creating a world where all animals are treated with dignity and respect. Where farm animals have the same rights and status as domestic pets, achieved through education, advocacy and lived experiences at our sanctuaries throughout Australia.
Willow Tree Sanctuary’s headquarters is located in the Byron Bay Hinterland. We also have a group of dedicated foster carers and volunteers across the country who work tirelessly to bring in-need animals into their homes and paddocks where they rehabilitate and await adoption.
Our AimWhy we do it
An estimated 500 million ‘food’ or ‘farmed” animals in Australia are excluded from the protections of animal welfare legislation, and while the cruelty to this group of animals has been documented in recent times, many still live a life of abject misery and suffering.
Domestic pets are also often abandoned, forgotten, neglected and abused, with Australia reporting over 250,000 animals euthanised every year. This is an alarming rate of destruction especially when the majority of these animals are considered healthy and re-homable.
As custodians of this planet, humans have designated some animals ‘friends’ and some animals ‘food’. Yet all animals deserve a life filled with joy, meaning and purpose. Like us, they share a capacity to suffer and to feel.
Our broader intention is to try and effect a shift in the way animals are perceived in our society and to create an awareness that all creatures are fully sentient beings with the right to live happy, free and safe lives.
Our Work How we do it
We rescue, rehabilitate and re-home neglected, abused, at-risk and unwanted animals. Our aim is to help all animals in need – farmed or domestic.
We have built strong relationships with farmers, giving them options to surrender animals to us rather than destroying them. We understand that farmers can be subject to financial hardship and need to de-stock at times; and we happily accept these animals and others that are deemed not valuable enough by farmers, sale yards slaughterhouses and veterinary clinics, offering them a life of safety through re-homing or safe haven at one of our sanctuaries.
We are also active in the community offering safety to many dogs that would otherwise have been euthanised at local shelters, pounds or vet clinics. It is estimated that thousands of healthy domestic pets are needlessly destroyed each year due to the overpopulation of shelters where so many dogs find themselves, abandoned, forgotten and overlooked through no fault of their own. We work directly with local councils, shelters and other rescues to offer sanctuary and adoption options to these dogs in need.
Domestic pets are also often abandoned, forgotten, neglected and abused, with Australia reporting over 250,000 animals euthanised every year. This is an alarming rate of destruction especially when the majority of these animals are considered healthy and re-homable.
As custodians of this planet, humans have designated some animals ‘friends’ and some animals ‘food’. Yet all animals deserve a life filled with joy, meaning and purpose. Like us, they share a capacity to suffer and to feel.
Our broader intention is to try and effect a shift in the way animals are perceived in our society and to create an awareness that all creatures are fully sentient beings with the right to live happy, free and safe lives.
There are systemic and attitudinal problems created by many factors which we hope to address through our education, advocacy and outreach programs, where we will ultimately promote compassion and kindness towards all animals in our community.
We seek to inform people on how their lifestyle and dietary choices impact on animals and the world around them. We believe that through learning about the plight of farmed and domestic animals, people will be empowered to make more informed and compassionate choices about how they can coexist with animals.
Willow Tree Sanctuary regularly participates at conferences, holds seminars at schools and other events, advocating on behalf of farmed and domestic animals. We make submissions to government investigations, and work with legal advocacy groups in order to speak up for all farmed and domestic animals across Australia.