´óÏó´«Ã½

Staff at an animal rescue sanctuary said they had been "overwhelmed" by offers of support after they were given four weeks to leave.

Celandine Wood Animal Rescue (CWAR) centre in Wirral, which looks after about 50 dogs, said that while it had been "allowed to use the land for our kennels for free, it is [now] being sold".

A spokesperson said the landlord’s "generosity has meant we have saved many animals' lives".

While CWAR has been offered another area to rent, there are no buildings on it, prompting an appeal for donations.

The sanctuary has longer-term plans to build a £1m permanent facility that will quadruple rescue spaces.

It was officially set up a year ago by vet Sharon Williams, who had been taking home animals that had been brought in to be needlessly put down.

She said: "We had a surge of new dog owners during the pandemic and shelters are still dealing with unprecedented levels of pets being abandoned.

"People are giving up their animals because they can’t afford them."

She added that the sanctuary was "forced to turn away about 100 animals that we’ve been asked to help each and every week".

Following its initial donation plea, the organisation said subsequent support meant "our dream of securing a dedicated space to home our dogs and save even more precious lives is starting to become a reality - but we still have a long way to go".

Listen to the best of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow ´óÏó´«Ã½ Merseyside on , , and . You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, external