Offering sanctuary to neglected, unwanted, and abandoned goats. Educating for kind care and giving goats a voice across New Zealand. Our sanctuary is based in Central Hawke's Bay/Tararua District.
After moving back to New Zealand in 2008, we became increasingly aware of goats tethered on roadsides and in sections—mostly alone, neglected and overlooked. With little being done about this practice at the time, we felt compelled to help these forgotten animals.
In 2015, a petition we initiated was presented to parliament and progressed through the formal process. More information about this can be found in our Problem with Tethering section.
What began on one acre, caring for four goats, has steadily grown. Today our sanctuary spans 17 acres and is home to 14 goats, along with a small number of other rescued farm animals and roosters.
Long-term sustainability is very important to us. Priority is given to goats in urgent or high-risk situations, or those with no other safe options. Where sanctuary placement is not possible, we assist with rehoming by creating adoption posts, conducting local property checks, and supporting responsible ethical rehoming through our networks.
When goats are adopted out from our care, this is done through an ethical adoption process that includes property checks and an adoption contract, ensuring they go to caring, lifelong homes.
Alongside direct care, we also engage in advocacy for goats. Over the years, this has included writing formal submissions, attending animal welfare hui, submitting to councils, writing letters, placing notices in community newspapers, and distributing educational material.
We continue to use every opportunity to speak out on behalf of goats, promoting compassionate care and recognising them as the intelligent, social and friendly beings they are.
We believe in compassionate conservation principles that encourage humane, non-lethal approaches to animal management.
Get in TouchEach goat at our sanctuary has their own story. From neglected tethered goats to abandoned kids, they've all found a forever home with us.
Our dear Rosie came to us as she needed a safe place after being found alone in a forestry block. She was so tiny when she first arrived. One day we found her nearly at the top of one of our 20-metre-plus willow trees! She safely made it down. Rosie is a gentle girl who always calls out a sweet greeting whenever she sees us.
Wee Jett was dropped off with her mother by a local animal control officer after they were found wandering the streets of Waipukurau. When no one came forward to claim them, they were signed over to our care. A couple of months later, we were thrilled to find them a loving, lifelong home together — a wonderful outcome for them both.
A good few years ago, I advocated for Roger after noticing him tethered on the banks of the Whanganui River. The property owner was receptive — I emailed some goat care information, and a couple of years went by. Then I was contacted by a lady asking if we had room for a goat who had headbutted her partner's car, and he was adamant Roger had to go! So it was meant to be — he found his way into our care. Roger is a cheeky boy, and yes... he definitely loves cars.
We were contacted about giving a home to a "chained goat", so off I went in the Ute to pick him up — though I wasn't expecting what I found. Poor Gilby didn't have a collar at all, just a chain wound tightly around his neck that had cut into his flesh. It had to be carefully cut off before he could leave. He certainly wasn't keen to stay there — he jumped straight onto the back of the Ute, eager to get away. These days, Gilby likes to begin every morning with a banana or another tasty treat, and we are more than happy to oblige.
Big Rosie was born on a truck bound for the slaughterhouse. Thankfully, a kind worker rescued her and raised her. When they later found they couldn't keep her while living in town, she came to us to live out the rest of her days. These days, Big Rosie has firmly established herself as herd leader — although every now and then one of the more dominant wethers likes to challenge her for the top spot.
Wee Rudi was caught up in a muster and made a break for freedom, eventually ending up near our block. After some enquiries, and with the help of a kind neighbour, he was relinquished into our care. He has since attached himself to one of the wethers and now spends his days in his company. A very special and lucky boy!
There are many ways to support our mission of protecting goats and advocating for their welfare across New Zealand.
Your donations help us provide food, shelter, and veterinary care for our goats.
Join our team and help with feeding, maintenance, and goat socialisation.
Give a rescued goat a loving forever home. Learn about our adoption process.
Share our mission and help raise awareness about goat welfare issues.
Goats are social, intelligent herd animals. As natural browsers (not grazers), they prefer and need a wide variety of plant material — tree leaves, shrubs, weeds, and vines.
Unfortunately, in New Zealand goats have historically been thought of as "lawnmowers", and many have suffered the fate of being tethered or chained alone because of this myth. Expecting them to eat grass right down to the ground is completely unnatural for them. While goats do eat grass, they naturally select the tops of longer, fresh growth rather than grazing it short like sheep. A goat kept this way is at high risk of malnutrition.
Goats are also highly social animals. The need for companionship is very strong — they form close bonds and thrive in the company of other goats. A lone tethered goat is often a distressed one, experiencing loneliness, boredom, anxiety and can display negative behaviours of pacing, excessive calling and withdrawal. Goats love to run, explore, and play with their herd mates.
Keeping a goat tethered or chained alone indefinitely is cruel and deeply distressing for the animal.
The only tethering that could be considered acceptable would be short-term and under direct supervision, for essential husbandry purposes only. Goats should never be tethered on roadsides. This places them at significant risk of dog attacks, theft, and acts of cruelty. Roadside grasses are often rank and unpalatable. Historically, many goats suffered neglect, and there have been some horrific cases of cruelty as a result of this outdated practice. While we thankfully see far fewer goats tethered on roadsides today, it still occurs. Goats are of course tethered in other locations like driveways for example.
Tethered goats can easily become tangled around fence posts, trees, or even their own legs. Some have died from strangulation due to being tethered on steep banks. Access to fresh feed, water, shade and shelter also gets compromised. Improper or heavy collars can cause neck injuries. Because they cannot escape, tethered goats are also highly vulnerable to dog attacks and other mistreatment.
Our petition, presented to Parliament in 2015, addressed these issues. While we were not successful in securing a full ban, we helped raise significant awareness around this cruel practice, and the social licence for tethering goats has diminished. In 2018, regulations were introduced requiring that tethered goats have constant access to feed, water, and shelter, and that they are not improperly restrained. However, we believe these regulations do not go far enough. It should not be permitted to tether and socially isolate a goat indefinitely.
Goats are not "lawnmowers" or "pests". They are sentient beings deserving of greater care and proper protection.
We are also concerned about the ethics of sponsored goat hunts and the messaging surrounding wild goats.
Please feel free to get in touch for any further information.
Get in Touch
Have questions about our sanctuary, want to volunteer, or interested in adopting? We'd love to hear from you.