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Willows Shop

Willows Animal Sanctuary       Registered Charity No SCO29625

Coffee Shop, Gallery, Gift Shop, Nature Trail, Pets Corner, 'Beastie Hoose', Group & School Visits.




New Videos!
Appeal - Please help secure the future of the Sanctuary and Animal Assisted Therapy Unit!

It is late February and the sanctuary is at last clear of snow. This winter has been very cold and our feed bills have been correspondingly high! We have managed to survive this far into the year because of the generous donations of our long term supporters for which we offer our heartfelt thanks! However we desperately need this level of support to continue. Our funds are at an all time low! Unlike the national charities we have no reserve funds so please consider making a donation!
We have decided to reopen to the public now as we need as many visitors as possible to help us to raise funds. Willows is open every day from 12:30 am to 4:30 pm except for Tuesdays and Wednesdays when we are closed all day. At weekends Willows is open 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Willows Animal Sanctuary is dedicated to the care of abandoned and ill-treated domestic and farm animals. We look after over 200 animals including more than 60 horses, ponies and donkeys as well as 100 sheep, goats, cows and pigs and approximately 60 cats and many rabbits, poultry and reptiles. Established as a recognised Scottish charity in 1999, we at Willows act as a lifeline for needy animals and provide them with a safe home and rehabilitation. At present we are the only sanctuary in this area able to take in such a wide variety of animals and many that we are asked to take in are elderly or have suffered physical abuse or psychological trauma, making them unsuitable for re-homing elsewhere. Consequently we represent their last hope. Those animals deemed suitable are available for re-homing.

Help Willows to help Judith and others like her!

Judith (not her real name) has suffered unimaginable abuse from a young age. She had been sexually abused and beaten by her father and locked in a cellar and left there until she was eventually found by police. She was so traumatised that she was unable to leave her mother’s side and until recently things looked very dark for her indeed. Now aged 16 she was brought to Willows and now volunteers here each week. Judith has a deep love of animals and the interaction with them in the safety of the sanctuary has changed the world for her. We are asking all caring people to help Willows to continue to support  Judith and the many other vulnerable people who rely on their weekly therapeutic visits to the sanctuary which help them recover from their experiences and supports them as they move on in the world.

 
Willows has a fully functional Animal Assisted Therapy unit (AAT). It has a team of committed, caring staff who are able to provide the support needed by the clients. This has proved to be extremely beneficial to vulnerable members of the community enabling clients to learn new skills and develop confidence in a caring and supportive environment . The AAT program at Willows has been recognised and approved by occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers and employment officers. There is currently no other organisation in the NE of Scotland that runs such a program and therefore it is in high demand.
WAVES Radio - The North East Sound

Waves Radio Supports Willows!
pomprint designs

We are delighted to announce that pomprint designs are fund-raising for Willows.

A big Thank You to all the nice people at pomprint and Waves Radio - all the people involved with the Sanctuary really appreciate it!.
Early in June 2008 STV were kind enough to film a short piece about the financial difficulties facing the Willows Animal Assisted Therapy unit. They interviewed one of the long term recipients of the AAT programme and highlighted the fact that the charity is struggling to find financial support and hopes that some local businesses may come forward and offer some help. We are delighted to say that the televised appeal resulted in offers of support for our fundraising endeavours from pomprint designs and Waves Radio.Hopefully other business support will be forthcoming.

http://www.stv.tv/news/Aberdeenshire_therapy_program_under_thr_080605114750102

Alex Salmond signs up as the first Best Friend of Willows

Willows is launching a new fundraising initiative to sign up 500 Best Friends of Willows Animal Sanctuary. We are asking people to donate £1 a week by direct debit and this would be used to provide security for the animals needs. Alex Salmond, Scottish First Minister and MP for Banff and Buchan, has kindly agreed to be our first Best Friend of Willows. In return for their promise of £1 a week a Best Friend will receive a welcome pack and quarterly newsletters. Click here for more details……..