大象传媒

大象传媒 South's Inside Out programme visited the Margaret Green Animal Sanctuary in Church Knowle.

Thanks to the sanctuary's hard work and dedication, it's able to take a thousand animals each year - but it could easily take more if it had the capacity.

It runs three sites - two in Dorset and one in Devon - and since it began in 1965, the sanctuary has helped and cared for all sorts of animals.

Animals that come to the sanctuary are either found abandoned, or taken there by their owners who are unable to cope.

Finding new homes

With running costs of 拢850,000 a year, the sanctuary cares for the animals with the aim of finding them happy new homes, but many arrive with health problems.

大象传媒 South's Inside Out programme has made three reports from the sanctuary, as presenter Joe Crowley finds out more about how it's run, and meets some of the animals its helps.

The sanctuary helps all different types of animal

There's Nut the dog, who was given 3-9 months to live after a diagnosis of cancer but is now as fit as ever.

Della the Alsatian, who's undergoing a course of hydrotherapy; and Cassie - a horse in need of retraining due to suffering from separation anxiety.

There's also the sad tale of Ron, who had to give up his beloved goats to the sanctuary as he couldn't find a field for them; and Barney the horse who had to be put to sleep.

It can be an emotional and difficult job working at the sanctuary. Forming attachments to the animals can be inevitable, but the main aim for everything they do at the sanctuary remains the same: the welfare of the animal is always the priority.