The animals are a time-consuming, yet worthwhile activity at the sanctuary. This feeding orientation will give you the basics for feeding and caring for the animals. Please read and understand the activities outlined in this guide. Regardless of what your intern focus is at the sanctuary, every volunteer is placed on the weekly schedule for feeding the animals.
Dogs
The dogs are typically in the "dog house" at night. If you take them out for their first walk by 6am, then Māko is less likely to have soiled his crate. If he happens to have soiled his crate, do not get mad at him. It is the fury he had had while being potty trained as a puppy that has caused him to physically have poor bladder and bowel control. Just wash his soiled fur, dry him off, and hose down his crate.
The dogs are placed in the dog run in front of the manager's quarters for the day. If it is raining, or Lucky is shaking her head, scratching her ear, or tilting her head to the side, keep Lucky in for the day. If it is pouring or the dog run is uncomfortably muddy, bring all of the dogs in the volunteer quarters.
When Māko is indoors, place a diaper around his penis and hips. You cannot cover his tail or anus with the diaper. Take him outside every six hours to change his diaper, as removing his diaper tends to uncontrollably release more urine from his bladder.
Feed the dogs once per day as soon as you put them in the dog run for the day. Lucky is first with a slightly rounded scoop. Winnie is second with 3/4 of a scoop. Māko is last with two level scoops. Tell the dogs to sit and stay. When you place their bowl on the ground, release them by saying, "okay." If at any time the dogs do not sit, or they rush at the food, turn your back on them for 10-20 seconds, and get them to sit again. If this happens twice in a row, in addition to turning your back walk a few steps away from them. It is important to reduce frantic energy around food; it can easily escalate into a dog fight.
You can walk the dogs two or three times a day. Tell them to sit and stay while you place the leashes on them or take them off. Again, tend to Lucky first, then Winnie, and finally Māko. Pay attention to the dogs and other animals as you walk them up and down the driveway. Lucky and Winnie can attack a bird in an instant, usually the moment your attention is somehow drawn away from them. Walk them up to the metal telephone pole and back.
Walk the dogs and bring them inside after the evening feeding of the pasture animals. You can snuggle with them, brush them, and okay with them. Do not feed them human food.
Cats
Turbo is the orange cat. Jack is the grey and white cat. Feed them twice a day outside. Turbo gets the larger scoop of cat food in the metal bowl. Jack gets the smaller scoop in the plastic bowl. Keep the chickens away from the food while the cats eat. Place their food bowls back in the cat food bin when they are done eating.
Keep the door to the volunteer quarters closed so Turbo doesn't come inside. He will eat Pandora's food if it is available. He will also go to the pantry shelving and eat any food he can get.
Goats
Goats get a flake of alfalfa twice per day, and half a flake at lunchtime. If the weather is nice, you can tether the does, Hokulani and Daisy.
Sheep
Sheep get one scoop of alfalfa pellets twice per day. On nice days, you can tether the sheep. Keep Solomon and Rachel close together. On rainy days keep them in their pasture but add a flake of timothy hay to their feed trough. Hint: Open up the back flap to make it easier to add the food. It is also convenient to leash them while they are eating.
If you don't tether the sheep while they are eating you will need to round them up to take them out of the pasture. Leash Caleb and loop the leash over the T-post by the gate. Leash Solomon and loop the leash two T-posts away (so they don't get their leashes tangled). Calmly circle behind the ewe and drive her towards the rams. Rachel will go to Solomon. When you get about six feet (two meters) away, crouch down so you are less threatening, duck walk up to her, and leash her.
After you return the sheep to their pasture in the evening, hang the leashes on the PVC piping by the chicken run gate.
Birds
The chickens and ducks get into everyone's feed if allowed to do so. You must be extra vigilant at keeping them away from the other animals' feed. When it comes time to administering medicine and dewormer, we want the intended animal eat it, and not have the chickens in the habit of eating the food, and possibly eating some of the medicine.
Twice per day the chickens get a 3/4 scoop of chicken scratch and 1 scoop of layer crumbles. You can also disperse a handful of scratch by the feed container for the birds patiently waiting. Feed the mixture in the chicken run. Toss a couple of handfuls at the chicken run entrance. Go inside the turkey house and toss six handfuls of feed to the two turkeys with the door closed so the other birds don't come in. The turkeys will kill chickens and ducks who are competing for their food. Leave the turkey house with the gate closed and disperse the remaining feed away from the turkey house.
After you have feed all of the animals in the morning, come back to the turkey house and let the turkeys out. Close the gate behind you. At night, keep the turkeys inside the turkey house.
Pigs
Twice per day each pig gets a yogurt container of hog grower feed. Laverne gets slightly more. Squiggy gets 2/3 as much. If you have meal scraps, fill the containers half full of feed and the rest with scraps. Otherwise they get 3/4 container of feed.
Use the water catchment barrel by Lilo and Stitch's house to douse the feed with water. Feed Stitch first, then Lilo. When Lilo and Stitch are not eating they both love spirited back rubs. They'll let you know when you've hit the right spot.
Feed Laverne inside the shelter. Laverne is jumpy because she cannot see. Then feed Squiggy. Keep Laverne's gate open so she can go into her pasture; close her in at night.
Be assertive around the three little pigs. They will go to their respective feeding stations. Feed Fay first (far end), then Ole, and finally Blue (closest to their gate). Pour extra water from the 5-gallon bucket into their feeding troughs.
Fay might nip to test if she can dominate you. You can keep her at arms length and push her forehead away. If she does nip you, chase her around the yard. She loves when you massage one of her ears. After a bit, she will lie down, and may even fall asleep if you continue.
Cows
The two cows get one flake of alfalfa two times a day. Break apart each flake into their feed trough. Watch out for flinging heads. If there are flies bothering them, they will use the alfalfa to whip the flies away. Spray the cows with Repel-X when they start doing this. They don't like the spray and may try to run away. Just calmly follow them and spritz down each side of their barrel above and below.
Donkeys
Eddie gets half a flake of timothy three times a day. Just feed him; don't interact with him during mealtime. Break apart the hay in his feed trough. After proper training, you can return to his pasture outside of feeding time, and he is more likely to interact with you then. Just be wary that he has kicked Rob twice.
Sonja gets half a flake of timothy twice a day. Keep her shelter clean of poop. If her hair is dry you are encouraged to brush her while she eats. If her hair is wet, do not brush them.
