As I sit here to type, my thoughts and gaze are hijacked by a slight whooping sound that is coming from beneath my desk. It is a sound I am all too familiar with when I don this position.

Today, as Baarack stands tall atop the grassy field of Edgar’s Mission, he too stands as a beacon of hope. His life, now made bright by the kindness of a stranger, is all he and we could have ever dreamt it to be. His body no longer is burdened by his overgrown fleece, his vision no more is blocked by wool and painful grass seeds, and his hunger and thirst no more are wanting.

Whilst we all hold that right to vote, as we exercise it daily, sadly the animals of this world do not. Limited as they are, they remain captive to our species and our mercy. Nothing then should ever absolve ourselves of our duty to be humane.

On a freezing night, we found her by chance, our torches revealing bruised skin where wool should have been. This pregnant ewe was slipping away.

Pigs are clean, if a little cheeky and sneaky when it comes to food. But what Edgar Alan Pig taught us most is that pigs are happiest held in our hearts.

Bertie lived a full life in our care, and even though it was an act of kindness, the last sunrise for this joyful sheep broke our hearts.

Emaciated and fly struck, her back legs limp, a sweet young ewe overcomes the odds with the will to live and our devotion to match.

Bred to churn out eggs, Wilhelmina was destined for a painful and miserable life on a factory farm. But now this sweet and curious hen is free, surrounded by kindness.

When we challenge traditions and consider animals’ needs, we gain new insight and understanding. We open our hearts to kindness and change.

I see a call for defiance from gentle Ballerina as he struts by. His one coloured feather inspires us to stand up against the mutilation and fattening of turkeys for our plates.