“As many of you have recently learned, RASTA has made a very big, very difficult, and life-changing announcement about moving all of the animals from our current Sanctuary location in Chemainus and merging assets with A Home for Hooves Farm Sanctuary which is currently in the process of securing a vastly larger property on southern Vancouver Island.

  RASTA Sanctuary has always been here for the animals, and their needs have always, without question, been our only consideration in the decisions that we make.  Sometimes that consideration places us in the necessary position of making decisions that we have a very hard time grappling with, but at the end of the day it’s what’s right for them, and we are always comforted knowing that we make our decisions with them in mind, never ourselves.

  As we’re sure you know,  we’ve spent almost a year building a barn,  and justifiably there have been questions about how that structure plays into this change. We’re taking all of these announcements step by step and truly appreciate everyone being patient and understanding as we continue to explain the different aspects of this change.

RASTA Sanctuary is NO LONGER accepting animal surrenders as we prepare to transfer our residents to their new home. A LOT OF THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS WE RECIEVE ARE ANSWERED BELOW, AND MANY INCLUDE LINKS TO HELP ANYONE WHO MAY REQUIRE A MORE DETAILED RESPONSE.   

We are absolutely thrilled to be partnered with ABillion, and to have been chosen by them to be one of very few organizations GLOBALLY that is featured on their platform. See below for how this amazing company is changing the face of giving and making donating to sanctuaries not only easy and accessible, but also FREE for the donor – that’s right, they give YOU money to donate!

BILLBOARDS AT LAST!!!   It has been a longtime dream of RASTA Sanctuary to be able to install a billboard promoting compassionate living, and at long last that dream has become reality! We are thrilled to have partnered with the incredible Ms Pamela Anderson – a lifelong animal advocate – to bring this message to the public!

When we first arrived here on Vancouver Island in 2015, having made the decision to move from De Winton Alberta for the sake of our rescues, and to create a sanctuary movement in a new place, there was much work to be done – we had to clear land, dig trenches, erect fencing and shelters, and restore a very old and failing barn.  As we progressed, we had the shocking news that the barn on the property was so old it had been built without a foundation, and was therefore literally sinking into the ground, meaning that restoring it would....

We’re grateful to have such wonderful support – here’s a little more about our corporate sponsors and business partners!   A Bill109n A Bill109n is a worldwide consumer app that allows people to connect with each other and review vegan food, clothing, and products. Through this platform, they distribute money to sanctuaries by donating $1 per review to a sanctuary or advocacy group of the reviewer’s choice.  So by simply snapping a picture and writing a review, consumers can not only help others make more educated compassionate choices, they also receive free money to give to sanctuaries and advocacy groups....

Veganism is defined by The Vegan Society, which coined the word in 1944, as: “A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.” What is Veganism though? The core of veganism is equality and the inherent right that all sentient beings....

So you want to start a Farm Sanctuary!  Did you know that most sanctuaries fail within their first year of operation, or shortly thereafter?  Running a successful farm sanctuary is a tremendous amount of never-ending work with several varied aspects that most people don’t take into account when considering starting one. The Open Sanctuary Project does an excellent job spotlighting the various facets of sanctuary life as well as the many challenges that it presents including the often understated personal costs, self sacrifice, and dealing with difficult people. “Outside of all of the organizational and resident concerns, as mentioned, starting....