AN animal sanctuary is making a desperate appeal for volunteers and funding so that more than 1,000 animals can finally have a new home.

More than 100 different types of animals from rare pygmy donkeys to meerkats are set to be re-homed at the Thorpe Farm Centre, off the A66 near Barnard Castle, after the Wetheriggs Animal Rescue Centre was forced to move when its lease came to an end on its previous site in Penrith last year.

Animal sanctuary director, Terry Bowes, said he was hoping to get the sanctuary open by February 13 but was still waiting for a planning application for the new animal enclosures to be approved and desperately needed more volunteers.

“We have temporary structures in place so we can open fairly quickly but we have had no money coming in since the end of August so we are now struggling,” he said.

“We have got a lot of animals who have gone to other places until we have got the enclosures built for them and we have got something like 600 on site but there are around 1,700 in total.”

Mr Bowes said he presently has about 20 to 30 volunteers but that more are needed to do a variety of tasks from office work to building, especially when a decision for the planning application is due to be made by February 18.

He added: “We were hoping to open in the half-term because the schools are on holiday and it would give us a boost but if that doesn’t happen then it won’t be until Easter before more funding comes in and it’s costing around £4,000 to £5,000 a week to run.

“Obviously bills are huge but we are still taking in animals and rescuing animals.

“In one way or another, whatever happens, we will make sure arrangements are made but our rescue work must survive because there’s only something like two of us in the whole country.

“It would be nice if we did not have to struggle and at the moment it is a struggle but we have got a lot of good support and have been received so well by the locals in County Durham – it’s just amazing.”

For more information on memberships or volunteering opportunities contact Mr Bowes on 07764-35283 or email info@wetheriggsanimalrescue.co.uk

You can also donate to the sanctuary online by visiting www.wetheriggsanimalrescue.co.uk