Black Sheep Retreat Sanctuary is a farmed animal sanctuary in the rural jungle near Cancún, Mexico, providing a haven for animals rescued from exploitation, neglect, abuse, and slaughter. It is one of Mexico’s few dedicated farmed animal sanctuaries. When In Defense of Animals Campaigns Director Lisa Levinson visited Black Sheep Retreat Sanctuary and met its rescued residents, In Defense of Animals stepped up to support its lifesaving work providing refuge and care for animals at risk.

A Sanctuary is Born

The sanctuary was established in June 2020 when vegan activist Mandy Vara, originally from the U.S., went to Mexico to teach scuba diving and became involved with the local animal rights community. When a tiny lamb was rescued from a farm, the sanctuary he was supposed to go to turned out to be another farm, where he would not be safe.

The only options presented to Mandy were a petting zoo or a local butcher, both unacceptable to her. When she learned she couldn’t bring a live sheep from Mexico to the U.S., she stayed in Mexico and began the process of building a sanctuary for him and other imperiled animals.

She named the lamb Noche and created Black Sheep Retreat  Sanctuary. The sanctuary now has 40 residents across 10 species, including pigs, sheep, turkeys, ducks, chickens, pigeons, cats, and a horse. The sanctuary has also rescued and rehomed 75 dogs, as well as Fernando, an iguana rescued from the tourism industry, where he was passed around for photos on busy city streets.

Life-Giving Waters for Rescued Birds

When Mandy identified a need to improve the duck house and microhabitat, funds from In Defense of Animals helped the sanctuary hire workers to build an outdoor duck coop and a new pool. The sanctuary’s first duck rescue, Kai, was just two weeks old when someone found him tangled in trash on the beach. 

Ducks get terribly depressed when alone, especially babies, so he was carried everywhere for days. A construction worker heard Kai’s story and brought two ducklings, Rain and Hudson, the next day. Kai immediately lit up, happy to have a family of his own. The trio stayed together for a few years until a larger duck coop welcomed more rescues, including one injured by a car in the city, one who escaped a jaguar attack, and one who escaped a backyard farm.

Ponds are vital to ducks’ physical health and psychological well-being, allowing them to clean and waterproof their feathers, flush their eyes and nostrils, regulate body temperature, and engage in natural, stress-reducing behaviors. As Muscovy ducks are the primary ducks used and killed for meat and eggs in the region, safe water is vital for the rehabilitation and quality of life of ducks recovering from trauma or confinement.

Defending and Protecting The Most Vulnerable

Every year, the sanctuary improves habitats to welcome more animals and ensure they live their best lives. Through partnerships with other organizations and generous donations from supporters, In Defense of Animals helps animals find solace in their forever homes.

Please support our efforts to advocate for farmed animals who are exploited, tormented, and killed in the food system, and for the essential work of farmed animal sanctuaries. Every animal deserves to be free from human harm, regardless of the body they were born into. 

To help ducks and geese who are tortured and killed for “foie gras”, take action to ban this appalling abuse in NYC, here.

Learn about the cruelty of the wool industry, here. 

Discover the ethical urgency of being vegan, here.