This month we celebrate FAR volunteer Mo. We asked her a few questions about her advocacy work and time as a volunteer.
How long have you been working with FAR?
I commenced as a volunteer at Farm Animal Rescue in 2016 as part of their "Pay Per View" outreach. "Pay Per View" is where animal advocates head onto the street and pay people to watch a short video about animals used for food, and then have a conversation about what they've seen. Potentially it's about parts of the industry in they are unaware, and the role they play . We were paying people $2 to watch a 4 minute video. A sanctuary funding outreach is unique and highlights the passion behind Farm Animal Rescue's mission to help animals and educate people about the origins of their food. I did this work fortnightly for four years, and then my focus changed.
My heart now lies with animal cruelty research. It can be very distressing at times, especially when we don't always see the results.
In 2018 Carol, FAR Vice President and I went to Victoria to rescue lambs and raise awareness of the 15 million lambs who die from exposure each year in Australia. Davis was was rescued during this investigation, is still enjoying sanctuary life, safe and loved, but sadly Scarlett died when she was just a year old.
I do fun things too. We recently had a sanctuary sign-painting day which I loved being part of.
What made you start to volunteer initially? The educational aspect of FAR is evident in their tours, outreach, and the staggering amount of work they put in to make FAR a sanctuary in every sense of the word. This really resonates with me.
What do you love best about your work?
There is so much to love. I know that change doesn't just happen, it is driven. And I like to think I play some small part in helping drive the change the animals so desperately need.
What do you find hard about your work?
Distance! I live quite far away from the sanctuary and as I also work full time, this limits the time I can give.
Who is your favourite resident?
Whoever is in my line of sight is my favourite! They hold my attention and I love them all. But three sheep, Malcolm, Nelson and Matin, hold a special place in my heart.
What's something surprising about you?
I used to run ultra marathons. I ran the Comrades Marathon (90kms) 5 times, using standard marathons as training runs.
Is there anything else you'd like FAR supporters to know about you?
I turned to friend Renata for help on this question. She said people should never take Netflix advice from me!
