Ms. Emma Haswell - Founder of Brightside Animal Farm Sanctuary

Life doesn't get any better than this!

Tasmanian Association members recently presented Master's Shining World Compassion Award to Emma Haswell of Brightside Animal Farm Sanctuary. The award recognized Emma's great labor of love in establishing a farm haven devoted to the rescue, care and rehabilitation of animals that have been mistreated or destined for slaughter. The Award also paid tribute to Emma's passionate advocacy on behalf of these animals as an active member of Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania (AACT).

Association members first met Emma on the lawns of Parliament House next to Hobart's popular Salamanca markets. Emma was seen cradling an injured baby lamb she had been called on to rescue that morning. A parade of gentle and docile animals meandered over the lawns delighting children and adults with their endearing and playful nature. Among them was a very handsome pig named Wilbur who starred in the Paramount movie Charlotte's Web and now has the good fortune to reside at Emma's Brightside Sanctuary, to the endless delight of school chss, visitors can easily sense the security and gratitude that these intelligent creatures feel for their good fortune to be in this animal heaven, and fildren and other visitors.

Witnessing the animals' joyful interaction with each other and their wealth of affection and playfulneor the attentive and loving care they receive from Emma and her daughter Eliza.

Emma happily tells the special and heart-warming tales of each of the Brightside animals, from a white rescued battery hen named Princess with a passion for building nests and laying eggs amongst the bed linen and laundry, to a very special pig called Fudge, who inspired her to embark on her animal welfare mission. Emma said, "I had no idea how wonderful pigs were until we started living with one; and it made me start thinking about farm animals more, and the suffering of farm animals more. I guess it's when you realize that pigs have a brain that works very similar to a human, and they think like a human. They think of humans as equals. They look you straight in the eye, and they have a sense of humour and an enormous range of sounds that make up their vocabulary; which might not be a human language, but you learn the different sounds and what they mean."

Besides feeding and caring for the 120 animals at the Sanctuary, Emma conducts educational programs to make the public aware of the cruelty involved in intensive farming practices and teaches school children about the very special and noble qualities of animals and about the care, love and protection our animal friends need and deserve from us. That Emma can accomplish, almost single-handedly and on a shoe-string budget, amazing feats such as a recent rescue and re-homing of 30 starved and neglected thoroughbred racehorses, is a real testament to her dedication, loving devotion and single-mindedness of purpose to the health and welfare of animals.

It was a very special experience for our Association members to announce to Emma that Master had awarded her the Shining World Compassion Award together with a cheque for US$2,000. At a presentation ceremony held on April 18, Golden Year 5 (2008), the Mayor of the Huon Valley Shire, Mayor Robert Armstrong, congratulated Emma on receiving the Award and for her good work in the shire. The presentation was attended by a number of Emma's friends and AACT members. Emma was deeply appreciative of the beautiful Award plaque and gifts of books and DVDs from Master, and also for the AUD$900 contribution from Association members in Melbourne who were moved to help on hearing of Emma's compassionate work.

Receipt from Emma Haswell for the US$2,000 contribution by Master