Bishop seeks happy endings for abused animals

March 14, 2013


Huntington native Shawn Bishop, a 1977 graduate of Gateway Regional High School, Huntington, runs The Animal Sanctuary in Matakana, New Zealand, with her husband Michael Dixon. The couple finds homes for animals that have been abused. They are pictured with "Beth," their first rescue animal. Reminder Publications submitted photo

By Lori Szepelak

lori@thereminder.com

MATAKANA, New Zealand — Huntington native Shawn Bishop was born with an innate ability to help animals.

"Some people are sporty, some are artistic, some are musical," she said during an interview with Reminder Publications. "I seem to have a natural talent with animals and they've been my focus ever since I can remember."

Bishop, a 1977 graduate of Gateway Regional High School in Huntington, spent countless hours in her youth growing up in Huntington rescuing every injured squirrel or chipmunk that crossed her path.

"I always spent my pocket money on food for strays," she said.

Fast forward 36 years and these days she can be found from daybreak to dusk running The Animal Sanctuary in Matakana, which she started with her husband Michael Dixon in 2002.

"We literally work from morning to night for no pay," she said, adding, "but it's very rewarding."

In fact, the couple funds the ongoing costs of food and veterinary care themselves.

"On arrival our animals require intensive care and lots of TLC," she said. "Even our permanent residents are continually amazing us. Once they've overcome their fear — perceiving us at first as being just more humans to mistreat them — they become gentle, trusting and caring. Animals can teach us a lot about forgiveness and being able to love and trust again."

While Dixon takes on more of the heavier physical work of building new barns and aviaries and mowing, Bishop focuses her attention on treating sick animals, organizing rescues, interviewing people for adoptions, and organizing and feeding volunteers. They both share equally in the daily feeding and care routines of the animals.

The Animal Sanctuary is located on 32 acres that abuts 400 acres of protected reserve.

"We joke that we paid for 32 acres but got 432 acres," she said. "It's a great release site for the native birds."

How did Bishop end up in New Zealand?

"I was engaged to a guy from New Zealand," she said. "When I moved here, I broke up with him but kept New Zealand."

When one thinks about animal rescue the traditional pets including cats and dogs come to mind for most of us. For the couple, their 32 acres house a plethora of animals from a hedgehog named Loki and a sulphur-crested cockatoo named Snow to several penguins.

"With commercial industries over-fishing, we have less and less fish in the ocean each year," she said. "When the young penguins first take to the sea and are inexperienced hunters, they can't compete. They wash up in large numbers, literally starving."

Bishop notes that the situation repeats itself when the adults come out of the ocean to moult.

"While they're moulting they aren't waterproof and can't swim," she said. "They would usually stay on the beach for weeks, living off their fat. But they're so thin that they starve, and try to go back into the water before they're ready."

Bishop and Dixon are called and those they rescue they keep warm, providing the penguins with electrolytes to get their digestive systems working again, and then crop feeding them pureed fish with spirulina.

"They need to weigh at least 3.3 pounds before we can release them again," she said.

Bishop's "biggest joys" are seeing a frightened, abused animal gain confidence and trust again, and releasing a rehabilitated native bird back into the wild.

"It makes all the hard work worthwhile," she said.

Currently, she and Dixon are in the middle of rescuing an 8-year-old Highland steer named Willie. Willie was raised as a pet, but then was threatened with slaughter.

"He's the size of a small elephant and his horns are several meters across, so transport is tricky," she said. "Like most Highland cattle, Willie has a great temperament and is friendly."

In addition, over the past few weeks, Bishop notes they found "wonderful homes" for all of their recent rescues, including several piglets, adult pet pigs, large and small goats, cows, and even llamas.

"It's a relief each time we find a great home and know that another life has been saved," she said.

Of all the animals she has rescued over the years, the tale of Romeo, a miniature horse, is the most heartbreaking for her to recall.

"Romeo was cruelly tortured by teenage boys," she said. "Sadly, when you do animal rescue, you see some of the worst of human nature. But on the other side, we also get to see the best of human nature through the caring people who want to do something to help."

In time, Bishop found a loving home for Romeo.

"He's well-loved, confident, and trusting," she said.

As spring approaches, Bishop particularly turns her attention to the native birds.

"Spring and summer are always full on with native birds," she said. "It's a double whammy — it's breeding/nesting season, so we get a lot of orphaned babies. But also, people are out walking in nature, so they find more injured birds."

This year has been no exception, according to Bishop, who noted they recently had "heaps of tuis, kereru (wood pigeons), moreporks (owls), penguins, hawks, kingfishers, herons, rosellas, banded rails, weka, and a blind kookaburra.

This summer the couple will build a new rehab barn for extra rescued animals, and also three large owl rehab aviaries.

"We now have about 100 animals in the sanctuary — two-legged and four-legged, native and exotic, warm and cold-blooded — all getting the care that they deserve," she added.

For anyone who would like to help Bishop and Dixon with their work, a charitable trust has been established for the sanctuary. For more information, visit www.animalsanctuary.co.nz. If you would like to receive Bishop's newsletter which provides up-to-date details on all of the happenings at the sanctuary, email her via the website.

"We get stories and photos from the people who adopt, saying how much they adore the animal," Bishop said. "These happy endings warm my heart."

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