Sponsoring an Animal 
By purchasing one of our sponsorship gift packs you will be directly contributing to the costs involved in caring for your chosen animal. You can choose from a wide range of animals here at the shelter.

Our sponsorship are just £30, and make great gifts! When you sponsor an animal, you or your chosen recipient will receive:
A branded Marias Animal Shelter notebook & pen
A personalised Certificate of Sponsorship
A shelter-branded car sticker
Information on your chosen animal
A recent printed newsletter from the shelter
Sponsoring an animal is really simple. Just click the link below, fill out the form, and send it back to us via e-mail or post. Once we have received your form and payment, we will send your pack out to you or your chosen recipient.

 

 

Check out our resident animals looking for sponsorships below!

 

Bella, Bernard & Hetty
Exclusively sponsored for life by Sue Campbell 

This troublesome trio are our resident sheep. They have huge personalities and LOVE their food! Bella (left) and Bernard (middle) came in to us in September 2022 at 6months old, after being hand-reared. Hetty (right) arrived in May 2019 because she’d been abandoned. Together, they all make excellent lawn-mowers!

 

Rocky the Cockerel

Rocky was one of a number of poultry that was abandoned in a local woods. Luckily some kind members of the public came to feed the abandoned poultry daily until they were all caught and rehomed. Thanks to the amazing teamwork, Rocky now lives with his eight lovely ladies. He is a proud cockerel – and we think he’s a rather dashing chap too!

 

The Hens

A group of eight chickens needed to come into us in 2021 as their owner was sick. They are lovely girls who come running over to us to see what we’ve bought them for lunch. They like to (not) help during cleaning time, kicking the bedding out after jumping into wheelbarrows! They are a cheeky bunch who will climb all over us – we just prefer it when they don’t poop on our backs!


Boof, Charlie & George

Boof, Charlie and George were found on the side on the road in Liskeard in November 2025 and handed over to us. These three adult cockerels get on well together and have settled in at the shelter.

 

Melvin & Lucy

Melvin came to us at in October 2025. Lucy has been at the shelter much longer, around 15 years, and came in as she was territorial with her flock so would attack anyone that came near them. Lucy loves all her flock at the shelter and is probably the noisiest resident here!

 

Buttons

Buttons the seldom seen feral cat. He is always around the shelter, but only seen at his morning feeding time. Occasionally we see a flash of black, as he leaps over a wall and disappears.

Misty

 

Misty came into the shelter in July 2019. Her previous owner had kept her tethered, so she could not run off but unfortunately the horse would tangle in the chain and end up kicking the goat. When Misty first came to us she would forever bleat at us for attention but she has since made friends with Toffee and Ericka.

 

Ericka

Ericka was brought into the shelter in June 2018, together with her 3 babies. Ericka was painfully thin, very anxious, had an over burden of worms and could not cope with feeding her babies. We hand reared the babies who then went off to their forever home. Ericka was treated by the vet and we managed to help her gain weight and she became friends with Toffee. Ericka has also improved with her nerves and is now a calm, placid goat who loves her food and cuddles.

 

Toffee

Toffee came into the shelter in 2010 with his brother Fudge. Unfortunately, Fudge died a few years ago. Toffee was distraught at losing his brother. Luckily, he now has Ericka and Misty to brighten his day. Toffee is one of those naughty goats, who sometimes terrorises the volunteers. He can be the most lovable goat on the planet and the next thing you have just been butted, such a character.

 

Shadow

Shadow is such  a sweet, friendly cat. We cannot understand why she decided to live with us but one winters day she showed up in the poultry enclosure and started to live with the ducks, sleeping in their house. At first, we thought she was just visiting us but then realised this was not the case. After unsuccessfully not finding her family, we decided that she needed to stay with us. Shadow has upgraded to living in the tool room with her own bed, where she can come and go as she pleases. Most people meet shadow when she runs out to greet a visitor at the gate.  

 

Steph

Steph came into the shelter at the age of three  years old in September 2023. She came in with her friend Sooty who sadly passed away in December 2025. Now aged six, Steph is used to living at the shelter and gets extremely stressed in new situations so is currently being bonded with Matt. Hopefully they will live in the retirement block together where they will share a lovely indoor and outdoor home.

 

Matt

Matt is a young, friendly rabbit who came in aged eight months in August 2025. Sadly he come in with dental disease so will need regular dentals and won’t be up for adoption. Matt is currently being bonded with Steph and if all goes well, he will live his life with Steph in the retirement block.

 

Hazel & Chip

Hazel & Chip came into together in June 2025, as their family moved house. Hazel (on the left) was aged six and Chip (on the right) is around three years old. Hazel has dental issues and arthritis. Chip is currently in good health so keeps Hazel company. Both are friendly, curious rabbits who will run up to be fed.

Rachel

Rachel is a very friendly piggy who originally came from a hoarding case in  September 2024.  Rachel was very poorly when she arrived and had an ovarian cyst removed. She still has a cyst on her kidney which can’t be removed.  However,  even with health issues Rachel loves her food and enjoys living side by side next to her friend Peanut. 

 

Peanut

Peanut is a lovely boy who came in to the shelter in February at the age of six years old when his friend died. He is elderly and arthritic with a suspected heart condition so can’t be adopted although he likes living side by side next to his friend Rachel. Luckily he loves his medication.

 

Jezza & Gloria

Jezza (dark brown) & Gloria (white with grey) came into the shelter together in January 2024 at the age of 18 months old. Gloria has got interstitial cystitis which causes her a lot of pain when she has it. The pair are very are both large guinea pigs so their diet consists of hay and fresh food only, so no pellets for this pair.

 

Trixie & Lilly

Trixie & Lilly arrived at Maria’s in August 2025 at the age of three years old as their previous owner could no longer have pets. Trixie was in a lot of pain when she came in due to arthritis. Lilly had an ovarian cyst removed. The girls are a friendly pair who both have arthritis so take medication daily for pain relief.  

 

Spark –  in Foster Care

Spark came to the shelter in May 2023 and is currently seven years old. He came in as his friend from his previous home died. When he first came in he seemed unwell as was sneezing and had a fungal infection. Spark has arthritis he was treated for his chest problems, once his immune system improved his fungal infection cleared up. He is super friendly and was paired with Flash who sadly died earlier in 2024.

 

Edward the Degus

Edward came into the shelter in October 2025 and was the 200th animal that we took in during 2025. He came from the Woodside Animal Shelter as a friend for our spayed female degus Jazz. Edward is an elderly chap who has an eye issue and arthritis.