The Big Give is an event supporting central Victorian community groups. The Bendigo Advertiser will be profiling several of the registered campaigns each week until the initiative ends with a 24-hour giving day on September 1. 

Bendigo Animal Welfare and Community Services provides sanctuary to more than 100 farm animals.

“We have shelters in each of our paddocks, but they don’t provide the right environment should we have one of the farm animals get sick,” president Debbie Edwards said. 

“Also for any new incoming animals – often we get them really malnourished.”

BAWCS is building a barn to provide that specialised care, but has only half the funds it needs to complete the project.

It has launched a Big Give campaign to help raise the remaining $15,000.

The Big Give is a fundraising initiative aimed at supporting causes that give back to the community. 

It started on Monday and ends on September 1, a community giving day, when registered campaigns stand to win a share in a $30,000 prize pool. 

“We’re really excited to be involved,” Ms Edwards said.

“The barn has been something we’ve been wanting to get up and running for some time.”

BAWCS was founded in 2003.

It describes itself as central Victoria’s only “no kill” animal shelter, with a sanctuary for farm animals.

Each of the farm animals at the Huntly North property has a story. 

“A lot of the animals we get in are from people that don’t realise the needs of animals,” Ms Edwards said. 

There are pigs who were intended to be pets.

“Their environmental needs can’t be provided in a backyard,” Ms Edwards said. 

“There is no such thing as miniature pigs in Australia, by the way.”

Other animals have been surrendered in times of personal crises, such as marriage breakups. 

“You can surrender your cat and your dog to a variety of places,” Ms Edwards said.

The same does not apply for farm animals.

“We had three goats come through that were in that situation,” Ms Edwards said. 

“We’ve had a couple of bobby calves come through… they weren’t the right breed for the industry.”

Phantom the miniature horse was much loved, but unable to join his former owner when she relocated interstate. 

A horse and a cow who have been together all their lives came to BAWCS due to concern they would be separated if they were sold. 

There are ex-racehorses and roosters available for adoption and other animals to sponsor. 

“We are entirely volunteer run – we don’t receive any kind of recurrent government funding,” Ms Edwards said.