Heartstone Veganic Sanctuary

21/08/2024

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all safe, and as well as possible.

Thank you so much to the few who got in touch about volunteering - I didn't get a chance to actually read the messages or reply to anyone yet (I will as soon as I can), but I saw a couple (two or three) messages have come in. Hopefully these will work out!

And thank you so much, of course, to those who do still donate, especially those with recurring donations which give a little bit of safety and of course, add up. You are awesome! 💚

Otherwise, the situation, of course, is beyond desperate. Donations have as good as stopped, I have to take more and more of the funds that were meant to buy the farm for feed, bedding, healthcare and supplements and remedies to keep the gang from finally succumbing to the health hazards they are, still, exposed to with no letup (even though of a different kind now). And I also can't avoid having to invest heavily - using the same money, because there is no other - in making the farm winter-safe(r) and getting a tractor to allow for reducing cost by buying bulk (pallets of feed instead of individual bags, round bales of straw and maybe hay instead of crazy expensive square ones). At the same time, the time is up, the farm has to be bought now (and there is no alternative, obviously). Not sure anyone can imagine the pressure I am under, on top of the neverending nightmare everything else is.

Can you please resume helping in the ways you can? Donating what you can, if you can; writing posts on our behalf; sharing and reposting mine, and, most importantly, reaching out directly to people who might be in a position to save us. (NB: Tagging them does not work, people with a large following don't have the time to look at tags and mentions, and most of them don't even take care of their social media themselves. But they do have email and physical addresses, agents, publicists, managers... 🙏) Please keep trying. Please. Please. Please.

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

Thank you so much! 🖤💚🖤

19/08/2024

Hi all,

I hope you are all safe - and aware, how much of a luxury that is.

I am hesitant to put up this post. Not the photos of the Shepherd's Hut for live-in volunteers yet, but a post asking for regular (more or less) local volunteers (again).

The problem is, I am so exhausted and have to work such long hours that I am not really able to meet anyone, to show around, introduce, explain. Of course it is expected for me to make the time, somehow - but I can only do that when there is a very good chance of the people actually coming back, and more than once, regularly. I literally have nothing left to put in, anything I have to do on top of the already murderous workload comes with an impossible price.

But, if you resonate with what all of this is about, if you would like to become part of 'Team Heartstone', if you are looking for community, for putting veganism and, better even, animal rights, into action, for turning non-killing into actual saving (and not just the theory/potentiality of it); or if you are interested in veganic food growing and planning and planting a food (and feed) forest; or in the concept and practice of vegan rewilding aka v-wilding, then please do get in touch. And if I don't respond, please don't give up the first time; it is most likely I simply haven't seen your message.

Thank you! 🌱🕊🍃

17/08/2024

Just Faye, for now. ❤️

Please be so kind to continue supporting us in all the ways you can. The relocation needs to be concluded within the next few (very few) weeks, the farm not only secured as our permanent home, but also set up to withstand the winter storms, and I personally need to get regular and permanent (long-term live-in) help, because I can't keep doing this. No-one can do backbreaking work 16-17 hrs/day, 7 days a week, on your own, for years - and that's what my 'life' looks like, which is genuinely killing me.
Thank you. 🖤🤍🖤

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

16/08/2024

Hi everyone,

just this little video of Kayleigh - now much healthier, darker, and a good bit taller - and Faye for now. 🥰

Endless gratitude to for having my back with all this lovely content while I am not able to make the time to sort photos, edit videos, or write proper posts (or read and respond to messages and emails, as many of you might have noticed. Apologies!).

Please be so kind to keep plugging everyone: we still need to raise the funds to secure our new home, and I have no choice but to spend a few ten thousand (!) on necessary improvements around the farm, a tractor, and of course feed and bedding while no regular fundraising is going on while we are trying to finally get us to safety. Winter is coming, and the summer storms have been a stark reminder that we have to be ready and prepared, especially as this farm is on a hill and very exposed.

I would much rather have separated those issues of course - through all the struggles of the past years, I have never touched the money raised to buy a new property - but I have no choice but to use it now since it is the only funds that are there. But of course, that also means we we ever-moving further from the goal, and thus, safety. After the move has saved the cows' lives twice, it can't just end like this, can it?

We need to help build the future if there is to be one, there is so much capacity here. We can't have reached the end with nowhere for anyone to go. But we are getting closer to that final curtain by the day, so please, please, please keep sharing, reposting, donating, and most importantly, reaching out on our behalf to everyone who might be in a position to help.

Thank you so much! 🌱🕊💚

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

P.S. Long-term live-in and regular local volunteers desperately needed, too! 🖤🐮🖤

13/08/2024

Hi everyone,

harrowing. Absolutely harrowing. Are you watching the inconceivable, unimaginable, unbelievable footage emerging from the horrors being carried out by Israel? Are you bearing witness, at least, if we are not able - or rather, not willing - to do much more? Why are we allowing this to happen? Why are there no peace marches to Palestine, offering an actual human shield that will be impossible to ignore? Violence, of course, won't solve the problem, we all know violence only ever begets more violence (and feeds the military-industrial complex).

What will solve the problem is non-violent action. Where are the Gandhi, the Martin Luther King of our days? What makes us comfortable enough to sit out the most well-documented genocide in human history as much as the lethal meteorite climate collapse is going to be if we don't change everything, now? Are we ignorant? Apathetic? Complicit?

I know that many of you don't like me talking about political subjects, it is 'not appropriate', a 'misuse of my platform', 'inept', and much more. I know that I am constantly losing followers because people want to see cute happily-ever-after rescue animal stories, not babies shred to pieces or fathers carrying a still breathing lump of flesh that once was his son, the apple of his eye, a young man with a future, dreams, aspirations, soon to be buried in a nameless grave under what little sand and stones can be found, on the roadside, maybe in the basement of a house. There are no cemeteries for the victims of a genocide.

We have failed, as a society, allowing this to happen. Allowing trauma to be repeated, not addressing the root cause. Fostering competition, justifying violence. We are built to be kind! And yet, ego is nurtured over community, greed over sharing, competition over cooperation and collaboration.

Is there hope left? As someone said, 'Could [humanity] polarize towards harmony in one fine, strong moment of inspiration? Yes, my friends. It is not probable; but it is ever possible.' The veils are dropping, and we are standing at the precipice of the curtain for humankind to fall - or birth a new vision, a new us, a second chance at life on earth, in harmony.

11/08/2024

Hi all,

I don't really know what to say, no energy left for writing a post.

Please, be so kind to keep helping to your ability. Financially (links in Linktr.ee), sharing, reposting, volunteering with the farm work, the beyond urgently required charity paperwork, the planning of the forest garden and planting of trees and hedges...

Kells isn't too far from Dublin, where the highest percentage of vegans in the country resides. Some Dubliners curiously stopped sharing, even liking, once we moved from faraway Sligo to the East coast... but I can't imagine y'all are hiding deliberately? 🫥

And financially, not only are we still light years away from having raised the sum required to purchase our new home and set it up so we will hopefully get through winter: sheeted gates are needed to prevent the yard from acting like a funnel for winds - even now, in summer, it is impossible on windy days to fill water buckets or feed bowls since the contents end up anywhere but where you want them to - a tractor with the required attachments to move hay and straw bales, and feed pallets; a few more gates to allow the gang to roam more freely without risking accidents; and some ground works to improve drainage where even here in the so much drier East some localised flooding is occurring in times of severe rain, to prevent the farm from deteriorating over winter. These expenses aren't optional; and yet, they have to be covered on top of the remainder needed to secure the place.

(Which of course reminds us all of the donation match - I still didn't get a chance to talk to the donor or even add up the funds that have come in while it was live. I still don't even get to eat or drink properly... which brings us back to the desperate need for volunteers.)

Anyway, still much to do, and the compromised health and immune systems of the cow gang - a result of the harrowing conditions in Sligo, and the different, but not much less difficult situation here at the new farm - or the fact I am still taking care of some of the previous/current owner's animals, don't help with that. But, you could - it's an hour's drive from Dublin, 1.5 from Belfast, and of course many of you live closer. 💚

10/08/2024

Hi everyone,

we need your help (for a change 😅). We need every can of this you can find anywhere in the country. Some Supervalu, Tesco, Boots and Costcutter are stocking it, and possibly some pharmacies. There is a shortage of the product in Ireland, and we need to secure supplies. I will cover shipping or petrol costs, and of course the feed itself.

Who can help? 🍼

10/08/2024

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all safe.

The gang and myself are beyond exhausted, no-one has an idea how much of a nightmare our situation here, and my life in general, is. With the insane stunt of a last-minute evacuation and relocation - uncertain as the future of that is - everyone seems to have closed the lid on Heartstone's and my desperate need of help, even those who know more details about the actual situation. Cows saved (twice, but not necessarily for good), Heartstone relocated - check. Problem sorted, all is well.

In reality the opposite is the case, help in all possible ways is needed more than ever. Things are not manageable or bearable, and can't and won't continue for much longer, it is simply not possible.

The second photo shows the Shepherd's Hut for long-term/live-in volunteers which has finally arrived yesterday (see stories for a little taste of the nail-biter the unloading has been), approved by Miserabelle, and which will be placed at its final location and plumbed and connected over the next few days. I will make a separate post with photos in its final spot, and with photos of the inside as well, of course.

I don't and won't have the time for Wwoof or Workaway any time soon unfortunately, so I will continue to depend on people actively contacting me. If you are interested, please give me a shout (more than once, if you don't hear back from me, please, since it is impossible for me to keep up with all the messages and emails I am receiving), and we can discuss. I am not able to offer payment, but food etc will of course be provided. The Hut has a double bed, underfloor heating, shower, compost toilet, sink and kitchenette. 🛋

Thank you so much, stay safe - and please don't continue business as usual at the time of history's most-documented genocide and the climate collapsing all around us. We need to build a future that is sustainable enough - on all levels - now, or there won't be any future for humanity (or many animals either, for that matter). Universal compassion and humility, reverence and consideration for all sentient beings and nature as a force and entity, are the basic tools for that. The rest can be learned, and taught. 🌱

05/08/2024

Hi everyone,

I just finished cleaning everyone's dinner bowls, to learn that tomorrow, the Shepherd's Hut for volunteers will arrive! 🙌 Which means, that from now on (as soon as I can get an electrician and plumber to hook them up) there is accommodation for long-term/live-in volunteers available (more photos hopefully soon). Anyone?

Otherwise, no news in regards to the Donation Match yet. But regardless of what has come in in the end - thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has shared, reposted, and donated to the relocation fundraisers to meet the challenge. We might not have hit the target, but the campaign has taken up speed significantly in, say, the second half of the five weeks we had. Thank you so so so much! 💚

Otherwise, as far as I've seen, two very kind people from the UK and one residing in Indonesia have offered to help with the paperwork. The problem is that it does not only require the paperwork to be done, but also, the knowledge and/or research of what paperwork has to be done in the first place, when, and how; and all of that has to be managed by someone else, without much input from me, because I simply am not able to make the time.

Which brings us back to the fact that Heartstone has to become a community; a group effort, with a regular team on the ground that identifies with the concept and Heartstone as an organisation. I am not sure how this has not (yet) naturally happened - it always did in the past. But no doubt, we have changed, and society at large has changed. Nevertheless, we need to get there. I would be more than happy to finally end the 'one-woman-show' that was never my cup of tea to begin with.

If anyone has ever been interested in actively been involved in a fully vegan (and organic) sanctuary that truly puts the animals' rights and wants and wishes first, here's your chance. And the same goes for anyone interested in veganic growing and food forests, or v-wilding. There is a reason that with the changed logo came a 'squared' - Heartstone² is more than an animal sanctuary. We also strive to do whatever is in our power to reduce and mitigate the climate horrors awaiting us. Well, I do anyway. You too? 🌱🕊

04/08/2024

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all safe, have food, water, a roof over your heads, friends, family... the basic necessities (which so many are deprived of these days, including myself in some regards).

Only a short post again, no energy left after mucking out, feeding, and tucking in the many noses the gang comprises of (if you'd like to see some new faces, take a look into my stories).

But, of course you are all waiting to hear about the outcome of the Donation Matching Challenge, which officially ended at July 31st. Thankfully, however, the unbelievably kind (and I mean that) donor will be accepting late donations that we are still waiting on. Apart from that, I am not even able to say much: not a chance of counting what actually came in in those seven weeks, or even to speak to the donor since the end of the challenge. Who, by the way, cares enough thousands of miles from here, in America. One could think there are no well-off people in Ireland.

I am also not able yet to tell y'all how much is still needed to finally get us to safety, but a very rough guess would be 100k. The longer it takes to raise those funds, the more we lose to regular expenses. Not much has changed to the nearly 6k I needed to raise simply to feed and bed the gang in Sligo. And the fact we don't have access to all the farm here yet doesn't help with that. Or, that I don't have a tractor yet. And at the same time, additional expenses that come with the farm - and with the lack of human accommodation - don't help either, but are no big surprise but simply a side effect to starting anew many hundred miles from the previous location.

This is just to explain... the situation is only getting worse and more difficult by the day. You can also find a plea for help in my stories, kindly shared from Facebook by who has also walked thousands of miles in support of Heartstone in the past. 🖤💚🖤

That's all I can muster for now; please take good care of yourselves, of yours, of anyone you are in a position to take care of, and the planet. We need compassion - universal compassion - more than ever these days. Darkness is falling, and the world desperately needs more light. Thank you! 🕊

04/08/2024

Guys, Heartstone is going to collapse if I don't immediately get physical help, with the charity paperwork, and fundraising. Help!

02/08/2024

Has anyone seen this little one? Please keep an eye out and an ear to the ground. This baby needs his or her mother!

A 9 week old Shetland pony was taken from a field on the Chapel Road area of Newry between 2000 hours on Monday 22nd July 2024 and 1700 hours on Wednesday 24th July 2024. The pony is described as fawn and white in colour. There would be concerns regarding the pony given the young age. If you have information in relation to this please contact police on 101 quoting 1613 . 25/07/2024

31/07/2024

☙ Last day of the extended $50k Donation Matching Challenge ❧

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

Thank you so much! 💚🕊🐮

31/07/2024

☙ Last day of the extended $50k Donation Matching Challenge ❧

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

Thank you so much! 💚🕊🩶

31/07/2024

☙ Last day of the extended $50k Donation Matching Challenge ❧

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

Thank you so much! 💚🕊🖤

30/07/2024

☙ A little over one day left of the extended $50k Donation Matching Challenge ❧

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

Thank you so much! 💚⌛️🕊

27/07/2024

☙ 5 days left of the extended $50k Donation Matching Challenge ❧

Hi everyone,

I hope - always do - you are all safe. It seems like, here in Ireland, we might finally get a few days of summer: the weather has not only been crazy, but also much too cold and wet until now, with already disastrous effects on Ireland's food and feed production. However, at the same time, July has globally seen the three hottest days ever recorded, in a row. The climate emergency is here, 1.5ºC are dead, and we are in the middle of climate collapse. And yet, we are still continuing business as usual, and allowing - and watching - events like the Olympics. Distracting us from what really matters, causing sky-high emissions we can't afford, wasting millions or more that would so desperately be needed to address the world's major problems, fostering, misleadedly, competition and value based on performance instead of collaboration, equality and equal opportunity. Not to forget that, of course, it is mind-shattering that a country in the process of annihilating an entire population, carrying out a genocide, the sheer definition of evil is allowed to take part (while another one, waging an unrightful war closer to home, is not). What has become of humanity?!

But, political rants aside, did y'all see that the $50k donation matching opportunity for Hearstone has been extended till the last day of July? 🙏 Since we are still far - very far - from the goal, which we beyond desperately need to reach to finally get us to safety, the kind donor has decided to extend the challenge to July 31st. So, we have another 5 days for anyone who can to chip in, and for y'all to please share, repost, forward... you know the drill. Every little matters twice as much this time! 💕

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

Thank you so much, and be safe - and please do whatever you can to get others who are not to safety, too! 🕊

26/07/2024

☙ $50k Donation Matching Challenge extended to July 31st! ❧

Hi everyone,

fantastic news! The unbelievably caring and selfless American donor who offered the donation match, sent me the following: "the match has been extended to July 31. The goal is to maximize the match to its full $50k asap". So, another 5 days to donate and every cent will still be matched (up to $50k). How amazing is this?! 🥰

Otherwise, I am still as run off my feet as I have ever been: allowing the residents their own agency as much as safely possible comes at the expense of a lot of time - especially where youngsters are involved - and a bigger farm that needs to be set up to be(come) a sanctuary from scratch is a huge project in itself, so please bear with me until hopefully regular and long-term volunteers can be found who actually do free up time for the by now sky-high pile of tasks and duties that have fallen by the wayside - including countless messages and emails, and the writing of posts with some actual content. (Not to mention eating, drinking or sleeping...)

For the same reason, I'll have to leave it at that for now, but you can always take a look at my stories for current impressions and new faces. And, if you feel keeping those safe who were fortunate enough to escape animal agriculture a task worth your own time, please do get in touch. In a few days, a Shepherd's Hut with double bed, shower and loo will be available for long-term live-in volunteers as well.

Be safe 'all, and please be so kind to keep sharing and plugging and donating. Since I need to use some of the funds (from GoFundMe only) for feed and bedding etc, until we can raise funds for that purpose alone again, this pot needs to be re-filled as well.

Thank you so much! 🕊💚

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

23/07/2024

☙ Last day left of the $50k Donation Matching Challenge ❧

Hi everyone,

I have to apologise, I still don't have the time to write a proper post, but I will have to post this now, or it will be too late. Today is the last day of the incredible opportunity a kind and very caring retired US donor provided us with: every donation up to $50k will be matched, which means, anyone who donates is having twice as much impact!

And it also is, or was, the biggest chance we had so far to get considerably closer to the fundraising goal that will finally get us to safety. 🛟

Yesterday, there were something like $20k, roughly, eligible for matching... there is still a lot of room for improvement! 💵

So, if you have even just a few cent to spare and appreciate the gang and what Heartstone stands for, and wants us to continue existing, please be so kind to head over to one of the fundraisers and chip in with however much you can or feel appropriate. Thank you so much! 🕊💚🐮

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

21/07/2024

☙ Less than 2 days left of the $50k Donation Matching Challenge ❧

✨✨✨

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

Thank you so much! 🩵💙🕊

P.S. Captain Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd, has outrageously been arrested in Greenland by Danish federal police while en route to , a campaign aimed at intercepting Japan’s newly-built factory ship Kangei Maru. Please follow Captain Paul Watson Foundation, Neptune's Pirates and Captain Paul Watson Foundation Ireland for the latest updates! 🏴‍☠️

"We need Paul released immediately! We urge the Danish government to release Paul and reject this politically motivated request."

💙

21/07/2024

☙ 2 days left of the $50k Donation Matching Challenge ❧

Hi everyone,

no time to write a post once again since the family who rescued baby Scooby (see stories for photos and videos) are coming to visit him in his new home.

But, there are only two days left in which any donation up to $50k will be doubled by a super kind and generous American donour. So, if you want to double your impact and help us raise the remainder of the funds needed before it is finally too late (I literally don't even have the energy left to despair), now would be a good time.

Relocation fundraisers:
https://chuffed.org/project/heartstone2
https://www.gofundme.com/f/37ityswhfc

Other ways to help, and links to forward:
https://linktr.ee/HeartstoneSanctuary
https://www.heartstone.earth

Thank you so much - and please be safe! ❤️🖤🤍💚🕊