The seasons are changing at Surge Sanctuary, and we need some help to keep our ground under control!

We spoke to director Martina Scalini about Speck, a short documentary film which shares the experience inside an intensive pig farm as told through the eyes of a camera hidden between buttons on a jacket.

Following on from UK Dairy Day, Cloe Moers introduces her free ebook written from the perspective of a dairy calf during her first 100 days of life.

It’s ‘Dairy Day’ in the UK, and an exhibition to celebrate this cruel and unnecessary industry is taking place in Shropshire. Today we chose to celebrate our residents who were saved from dairy instead.

Last month 202 rabbits were liberated from a meat and fur farm after relentless campaigning from grassroots activists. Surge sanctuary is now caring for 12 of those rabbits while they are rehomed to five-star families.

As you may have seen on our Instagram, our truly amazing little lamb Derek was put to sleep last month. This was the hardest decision we have ever had to make and we are still devastated. Derek died because a farmer docked his tail - but why?

We spoke to filmmaker Jusep Moreno about his debut documentary, telling the story of Matilda and her piglets following their dramatic escape from slaughter and rescue.

Farmed sheep have been bred over generations to produce so much wool that they can’t shed enough of it naturally, meaning that many need to be sheared by humans to avoid unpleasant health problems. But what sanctuaries then do with that wool can differ wildly. We discuss the issues surrounding wool production and what we and other sanctuaries do with our residents’ excess wool.

Who's your favourite singer? Well, for our handsome turkey Harold that’s an easy question: definitely Ariana Grande! But did you know that science is shedding new light on the effect of music on animals?

How can we expect children to respect and value sentient life when they can go and watch animals in a zoo, like paintings in a museum? How can we expect them to learn about the natural world by gaping at animals from behind bars, so far removed from their natural habitat? Sanctuaries are arguably a far better way to educate children.

Devon spent the last week volunteering at the Surge Sanctuary, and here are some of the things she learned. Some are facts she didn’t know, and others are more life lessons.

It has been a rollercoaster month for the Surge Sanctuary team who have had their hands (and hearts) full with the arrival of Derek the lamb who has had a difficult start to life. Derek arrived to us without the use of his hind legs, and he cannot stand or walk on his own.

Bred for the meat industry and saved from a duck farm, rescued as small fluffy chicks, these ducklings quickly grew up! Now we have six lovely full-grown ducks that live with us at the sanctuary! Paul and Ringo are our two runner ducks who are much taller, the four boys are referred to as the ducklings as they are a little difficult to tell apart!

Adorable Nigel has now been at the sanctuary for just over a year! Prior to Nigel’s arrival, he was sold to a lady as a micro pig by the open farm for just seventy-five pounds, but micro pigs do not exist!

Jack Hodgson is an urban farmer and educator who is helping the Surge Sanctuary get involved with organic plant-based farming. In this interview, he takes us through his past and future projects with Surge and explains the power of growing your own food.

Anji Chapman is a volunteer at the Surge Sanctuary. Anji lives in a house full of beautiful rescue animals and studies philosophy in her spare time. She is also a member of Lincolnshire Animal Save. Here, Anji takes us through what it’s like to be a volunteer, and what she has learned along the way.

Today is another special day at the Surge Sanctuary, as we are celebrating the first birthday of Paul!

The wonderful Peggy the pig, who came to us in an emergency fostering case, has now gone on to take up residence at her forever home.