Vegan Retreat- Star Mountain Animal Sanctuary
"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do"
Rumi
Star Mountain Animal Sanctuary
For more up to date news about the sanctuary and residents check out our facebook page Star Mountain Aniaml Sanctuary
https://www.facebook.com/starmountainanimalsanctuary
Elena
Elena was the first member of the Honey house horse team. Elena, had a lame back leg and swelling. However her character shone through. Elena is 15.1 hh and about 8 years old. She probably pulled a cart for most of her previous life, however she has the air of a Queen and we often call her Queen Elena (she is also head of the herd).
She has a lovely personality and understands what people need from her and she is very good at showing what she needs in return, normally carrots and a place to itch her face!
She loves power tools and when ever there is a bit of D.I.Y going on Elena's the first to get involved (maybe she was a builder in her past life)
She loves people and being social and often joins us at the breakfast table where she tries to steal the food and drink from the cups. Elena is really a unicorn in hiding and if you are very lucky she will show you her real self.
Echo
Echo is a lovely girl, who has come from not so fortunate circumstances. Bought by her previous owners at the age of 6 months from a herd that had relatively little contact with humans, she was lassoed, pulled down and bundled onto the back of a truck. Unfortunately the home she was destined for lacked patience whilst breaking her in, as a result at the age of 7 she was offered for loan, unbroken and fearful. I fell in love with her the moment we met. We had a conversation, she told me how she felt and I told her about Honey House, she said OK lets go and has never looked back. I bought her, so as there was no chance of her return to her previous home. The first weeks she was scared of just about everything, brushes, being lead by some one she doesn't know, men, being rugged up, and the farrier. Her feet hadn't been trimmed for 18 months and she had problems with her teeth which gave her discomfort and probably didn't help with her overall mood. Slowly slowly that is all coming to change. She comes when called, she tolerates being brushed and life is good. The biggest step forward is that she now allows, even welcomes me, to give her big bear hugs around her head and neck and kisses all over her face. Nothing is conventional about Echo's learning, we work together to find the best way for her to learn to trust again. I have given Echo a lot of Reiki treatments and also send her distance healing. Each morning if it is going to be an Echo learns something new day, I send her Reiki before I have even got out of bed and connect to her energy, her subconscious. I then talk with her in my mind and tell her what the day holds. I talk with her continually explaining what is happening and if she gets scared, I remind her that my intentions are not to hurt her but to work with her. She responds really well to this.
Echo's favourite thing in life is jumping, she jumps out of the field on a regular basis, she even jumps fallen branches in the field, she loves it. Echo is a 14.3 Bulgarian mix breed.
Logan
Logan is the baby of the bunch born in 2009, but from his grumpy face at times he seems like the granddad.
Logan is a little treasure. He lived with Echo previously and the two have a very special bond. Logan is only 13.2 hh , He has wonky legs and a line down his back that brings about suspicions of donkey relatives some where in his family tree (he denies this) . However he is a gigantic character. He likes to push his way to the front to get his morning cuddles first and always has a welcoming whinny. He loves people, nuzzling them and trying to eat their shoes, he also enjoys chasing the dogs around the field.
He is a lovely little man, who is great for kids to learn with, he is happy and inquisitive most of the time, with the funniest faces when he is a bit put out.
I am looking forward to watching him grow into the amazing star that I know he has the potential to be, hopefully teaching many children how to love horses through his cheeky ways.
Molly the Mini Pony
Molly was standing in a dark shed surrounded by other mini ponies, she had a manky dreadlocked mane and tail, scabs all over her body and conjunctivitis, the guy selling her said she was 6..more like 16! When I walked into the shed I sat down on the straw and she walked over and just put her muzzle on my shoulder and asked me to take her away from there, she told me she understood love and missed it, she also told me her name ... Molly
What to do..... she was without a doubt a part of the Honey House gang.
Six months later and preparing the horses paper work to travel to Portugal, the vet discovered Molly has a microchip, we traced it back to Holland, where she is registered as Polly. Seems I found her mini pony dutch accent a bit hard to understand! She is now known as MollyPolly.
MollyPolly is an absolute star with young kids, she lets them climb all over her and she seems to enjoy adult company as well, especially when theres a chance to steal some food!
Molly is very good at communicating with humans and so helps out alot on the animal communication workshops.
Azlan
Azlan (2003-2016)
Azlan is from a small village called Dalyan, situated in the south of Turkey , we have lived together since she was around 3 months old, when she wandered by my shop looking for some food, I didn't give her any but she decided I was hers anyway and started to follow me around, I woke up the next morning with Azlan in the bed next to me and no idea how she got there! She hasn't let me out of her sight since.
She is an amazing soul with deep wisdom filled eyes.
I feel blessed to have shared 14 years with her and miss her everyday, my dear friend..................
Mishka
Mishka the Mischievous
Mishka was trapped in a snare and needed 18 stitches around her neck when she came barking into our lives. She had also been neglected in her previous home and was skeletal. A happy and optimistic soul, she is an example of ultimate abundance manifestation. Of all the animals I think Mishka has everything she could ever wish for. Freedom to run for miles daily with the horses (which she loves) her best friend and mate Boise to play with, food, cuddles, a warm place to sleep and a human to keep her safe, plus lots and lots of things to chew! She has gone from near death to near bliss, when you watch her run her whole being is smiling.
Boise
A street dog from Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Boise used to meet up and come for a walk with us when we stayed in the Long House. One morning on a snowy -10 day he was curled up on the door step with a little pile of snow on top of him. We made eye contact and it was time to stop denying he was part of the gang and invite him in. He fitted in straight away and has never looked back. Boise is very friendly and loves to be made a fuss of.
The Cats
Pickles , Bossy and Pipin
Are 2 sisters and a brother, dumped near the Long House at around 3 weeks old.
Destructive and manic babies to teenagers, they tore the apartment apart. Luckily in April 2013 we all moved into Honey House and the cats have the life they deserve and the apartment has been redecorated! They love it here and each one has its own quirky personality. They are very friendly and love people and activities, they are generally up to something naughty and its best not to leave anything edible out.
Pickles the rat catcher extraordinaire.
Bossy " I`m an actress darling, don't you know"
Pipin the thoughtful one
Jessica
The beautiful Pickles, got hit by a car in Bulgaria 6 months before we left, I found her dead body, minutes after it happened, wrapped it in a blanket and drove with her to the nearby water fall, a place where water fairies dance across the water. I buried her body there whilst her soul/spirit stood next to me, she followed me to the water’s edge and told me she would see me on the road to/in Portugal, once she had reincarnated. The whole journey from Bulgaria to Portugal I looked out for her, but nothing. After a few months I had forgotten about it and then one day whilst driving along a country lane, the car in front of us threw a cat out of the window! I jumped out and grabbed her whilst Adam chased the car down. I looked the cat in the eyes…….it was pickles!
What an entrance…….a typical Pickles way of doing things. It got confusing calling her pickles and she told us, her name is Jessica in this body. Jessica is very good at disciplining all the other animals, follows me around everywhere, chatting away about this and that and unfortunately hasn’t improved her toilet habits from her past life!
Nicky & Tata
Lady & Silvi- aka- Ursala Bear
After a horrific expose of a government dog shelter, that was strangling and drowning the animals in their care we joined Liliana Dos Santos, The owner of Cantiho da Lili, another dog shelter here in Portugal and got as many dogs out as possible. We had Lady and Silvi in our car, whilst driving from one shelter to the other we decided we couldnt let them go back in cages, all be it a better situation, we said we would foster them until suitable homes were found..........urm fell in love with both of them and could never break their trust, especially Silvi who has never know love and kindness before. The first time she sat on a cushion her face was fantastic. She probably spent her previous years chained and beaten. Lady is a different situation. She must have had a loving person, what happened we might never know......I hope one day whilst out walking we pass the person she used to live with and they can be reunited, if she is indeed lost. Lady is a little dog with a huge personality...she thinks shes a rotweiller!
Nicky & Tata are Adams dog and cat from Bulgaria, they are firm friends, always up to mischief together.
The chickens
Fredrick, Snowy and Henny Penny
The chickens were not that friendly when they first arrived, but that has all changed!
After an incident with a pole cat that nearly killed Fredrick, he needed nursing back to good health, during his recovery he stayed in the sitting room, to keep warm and safe. Once recovered Fredrick decided he liked the good life and often roosts in the house rather than the chicken coop. I have even found him on my bed!!
Lately the hens have been wanting in as well. As it was really not ok to have 3 chickens sleeping in the living room I have made them a place to sleep right next to the house. They seem happy with this compramise
The Babies
In the summer of 2014 the babies were born, Little Fredrick, Phonix, Esmeralda,fairy feathers and Jasmina circa. One day in the spring of 2014, I looked at Fredrick and said to him "you are not going to be with us much longer are you, once you go, I wont get more chickens, but if you wanted to leave a legacy, I would be happy" Having never had any interest in the hens, Fredrick got busy, when the hens laid the eggs they showed no sign of being broody, so fredrick sat on the eggs for the first week and then Henny Penny gave in and took over. The chicks were born and 3 weeks later, Fredrick one warm afternoon went to his house lay down and fell asleep forever. We miss him and his cheeky ways.Then fredricks daughter Jasmina, laid/sat on 7 eggs, there was thunder and lightning and then on the summer solstice, only one chick hatched....her name is Solsitce.
Some mini Portugese chickens have joined the gang and I guess the herd will grow and decline over time.The chickens are our friends not for eating, they roam free and sleep happily in the barn.
The list keeps growing
