Kind-hearted lady finds new home for animals (From Dorset Echo)
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Kind-hearted lady finds new home for animals
10:30am Friday 1st March 2013 in News By Harry Hogger
SUCCESS: Lin Dukes, left, with Lesley White from Eweleaze Farm, Osmington
ANIMALS whose home at a mental health facility near Dorchester came under threat have been happily rehomed.
Service user Lin Dukes was concerned when the Whitfield Rural Activity Centre temporarily closed its doors as there was no sign when it would reopen and whether there would be a future for the animals living there.
She took the initiative herself by issuing an appeal through the Dorset Echo and has now successfully rehomed all the animals.
Mrs Dukes was able to send some of the animals – including sheep, geese, ducks and chickens – to the Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Chard and made a donation to the charity out of her own pocket.
However, she was still needed to find a home for two goats and three pot bellied pigs, which had featured in the Echo back in 2011 when they were the victim of a vicious attack.
Mrs Dukes said: “Because of the article in the Echo I received several replies offering to rehome the piggies and two goats.
“I was in contact with all of them but decided upon Eweleaze Farm at Osmington.
“Peter Broatch the owner of the farm contacted me and after a visit to his wonderful farm and camping facilities, I decided that his offer would be gratefully received.
“The pigs and goats are assured of a happy and content life amongst the various other animals he keeps there and I am able to visit them whenever I want to.
“I am extremely indebted to him and his staff.”
Mr Broatch said: “We have a lot of children on the farm in the summer who like to see the animals so it will give them somewhere where they are still meeting people.
“It benefits the animals as they get a decent home where they could live out the rest of their lives and it also benefits us and they can carry on giving pleasure to other people.”
Mrs Dukes said that while she was delighted the animals had now found a happy home she was disappointed that she had been forced to take the task of rehoming them on herself.
She added that she was due to have a meeting with the director of mental health services at the Dorset HealthCare James Barton to discuss the future of Whitfield Rural Activity Centre.
