Hayley Hubbard established the sanctuary in 2020 after rescuing some ex-battery hens which prompted a deeper understanding of the harsh realities of meat production, and her vegan lifestyle.

Her home in West Sussex neighbours a farm, and her garden backs out onto the fields where their sheep were raised. Hayley and her youngest son often visited the sheep, forming a bond with these animals. One day, the farmer asked if they could assist in bottle-feeding some newborn lambs, which introduced them to the original 'OG' flock consisting of Neville, Emma, Amy, and 10 others. Hayley's affection for these sheep grew strong, despite knowing their inevitable fate of being sent for slaughter.

Through persistent efforts, Hayley managed to persuade the farmer to let her purchase the male sheep and one female, Amy (whose name, 'Lamey Amy,' hinted at her unsuitability for breeding). She relocated her small flock to a nearby rented field.

After facing challenges with the rented field, the farmer offered for Hayley to rent the field at the bottom of her garden instead. Here, Neville successfully impregnated all the female sheep, aligning with the farmer's intended breeding scheme, typical of the meat industry. This led to the birth of a new generation. Instead of sending the male sheep to slaughter, the farmer agreed to sell them to Hayley, while keeping the females for breeding.

This cycle repeated itself for another year, with Hayley providing care for both her own sheep and those owned by the farmer. Eventually, she realised she couldn't continue this care knowing the fate that awaited them at the slaughterhouse. After two years, the farmer agreed to let Hayley purchase all the sheep, marking the end of a sad cycle.

After successfully saving the ‘OGs’, Hayley continued to look after them and shared her journey on social media. Her posts caught the attention of a concerned woman who had seen neglected sheep at a nearby farm. These sheep were in bad extremely shape; violently underweight & were missing a lot of wool from stress. The woman told the farmer she’d either report them or to allow her to find a new home for the sheep.

Originally, Hayley planned to keep only two of the flock of 13 and find new homes for the rest through her sanctuary. However, no one else stepped up to adopt them, so they stayed with her. With the arrival of Shetlands, Hayley realised her garden wasn't big enough. She had to notoriously clean up after them every day and was having to buy grains & hay for them all to eat as the grass didn't have a chance to grow.

In March 2023, Hayley posted online looking for a new home for her sheep, and by April, a breakthrough came. The daughter of the wonderful owner of Woodmancote Place reached out, and after clarifying that the land would be used for a sanctuary and not for livestock, it was a done deal. With more additions to Hayley’s flock along the way, we also now are the happy home to 9 rescue pigs which would not have been possible without the kindness of our wonderful landlady at Woodmancote Place.

All of our 94 sheep now live happily on the gorgeous grounds of Woodmancote Place. Each one having their own story of how they came to be at our sanctuary. Along with our pigs, they will all spend the rest of their days without fear or worry, and now know a life only of love.