This Christmas we take a look back at what life is like at an animal sanctuary; Lifting the lid on some of our memorable rescues, the circumstances that lead to animal abandonment, and the amazing people that help their rescue and rehabilitation.
Tail #1
Milo and Minnie - how the past helps the present
Every life saved since that day, has been down to the generosity of our supporters and volunteers, alongside the dedication and commitment of our team. > READ MORE
Tail # 2
When Saving Two Isn't Enough
At Woodlands, it is sadly not uncommon to see the saddest elements of human society, and the bearing this has on an animal’s wellbeing. Pet owners who should know better entrusted with animals who have known nothing else.
It’s a sorry fact that many people embark on the journey of ‘ownership’ of an animal without understanding the demands that may be placed upon them. People without pet insurance faced with treatment that they can’t afford. People whose cat suddenly becomes pregnant, and they’re faced with care costs rising fivefold. People who are smitten by a particular cat breed for their looks though unaware of what their needs and behaviour entail, leading to incompatibility. These animals often end up without a home and stray. > READ MORE
Tail #3
Fred, Wilma and finding purpose
"This particular story isn't the most dramatic rescue I’ve been involved in. Fred and Wilma didn't make the national news. Still, it's the one that changed everything for me, and perhaps explains why, 18 months on, I'm more passionate about the work being done at Woodlands than ever." > READ MORE
Tail #4
When One Call Becomes Twenty Cats
One thing that is completely predictable about the animal rescue world is that it is extremely unpredictable. You never know what is going to happen next. One phone call or email and the best laid plans get thrown to the side, and it's all hands-on deck.
Today's tale is testament to that. We were going to be looking at another of our heart wrenching rescue and recovery stories from the past, but the last two days have changed those plans! Rather than writing about one particularly harrowing case that ended in hope, we are instead looking at the worst case of neglect and abandonment that we have seen in our entire 20 years of rescue. Just hours ago we had never seen the fate of so many rescues hanging so precariously in the balance.
> READ MORETail #5
Better Late Than Never: Derek's Story
Some animals arrive with a history. Others arrive with a mystery. Derek turned up with both.
The call came in July. A donkey. Owners moving abroad. No arrangements made for his care. Derek, as we’d go on to call him, had seemingly spent his entire life alone. As far as anyone knew, he'd never met another donkey.
> READ MORETail #6
Not All Scars Show: The Cats Who Need Time to Heal
Tail #7
Why rescue networks matter: the 32-goat mission
Tail #8
The invisible gift that keep rescues running
Christmas morning. Just after dawn, breath visible in the cold, wrapped up in thick coat to guard against the unpredictable Lancashire weather, a person makes their way through the security gate and crunches the gravel as they make their way towards the Woodlands Cattery.
While most people are unwrapping gifts from loved ones, they’ve come here to prepare breakfast for forty animals who don't know her name.
Tail #9
When Love Isn't Enough
Some rescues stay with you. Not because they're the most dramatic, but because they reveal something uncomfortable about how quickly things can unravel. The call came from the RSPCA. Eleven cats. Three generations of them. All living with a family with teenage children. Every single cat had cat flu. The family were facing eviction.
Tail #10
From a muddy field to thousands of lives saved
I’ve been at Woodlands Animal Sanctuary since the very beginning-back when the place was little more than a muddy field, a handful of dreams, and enough cats to convince the neighbours we were running some sort of feline commune. In 2005, my mum, Jacqui McDerby, and I opened the sanctuary with a budget that would just about buy a couple of bags of feed and a kettle
