F.R.I.E.N.D Animal Sanctuary is a safe haven for predominantly farmed animals who will live out their lives in the beautiful Kent countryside.

Kerbear writes…

Sadly , has been taken seriously ill and hospitalised. However I would like to keep this appeal going for her so she doesn’t need to have any worries and can concentrate on getting well. Anyone who knows her knows what a wonderful woman she is, so please help me to help her.

Her original appeal is below as although we have received some of the more urgent items, we can never have enough of things like dog beds, animal feed etc so I have left those on there. I have also set up a standing order form to set up a monthly contribution (pdf opens in new tab).

Please keep this appeal going, we will have an open day in the summer so you will all be welcome to come and visit these gorgeous animals you are helping!

Contact: Kerry 0786 687 9851

As of the 17th March, Marion has left hospital and returned home. We are still not sure as to what exactly is wrong with her. Cards (and large cheques 🙂 can be sent to the usual address…Linton View, 89 Bush Rd, East Peckham, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 5LJ. Thanks.

DESPERATE APPEAL FROM F.R.I.E.N.D ANIMAL SANCTUARY

F.R.I.E.N.D Animal Sanctuary is a safe haven for predominantly farmed animals who will live out their lives in the beautiful Kent countryside. These include a herd of cows, a flock of sheep, a goat and 30 pigs as well as geese and chickens. We are also home to 11 dogs, 6 domestic cats, a large feral colony, 3 ferrets, a deer and a blind hedgehog named Elliot!

Sadly, our resources are severely strained so we are asking, hat in hand, for animal lovers out there to help us to continue to give the animals in our care the blissful life they would never have had. Most of the farmed animals have been saved from the “meat” industry, all the dogs and cats are rescues and the wildlife are rehabilitated and released where possible.

The most common question I get asked by well meaning people is, “What can I do to help?”, and as there is always so much I don’t know where to start! So I have sat down and written a list of what we really need. Please view our list below and if you can respond in any way to this VERY SERIOUS appeal, know you truly are making a difference to the lives of these animals.

Please see our website for pics of some of our gorgeous animal kids:
http://www.friendsanimalrescue.org.uk/

Or watch the Flickr slideshow (opens in news window)

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE ANIMALS AT FRIEND

DONATE

Any monetary donations are gratefully received, every penny helps!

Building materials:

Posts and Rails
Pallets
Screws
Sterling board
Timber, any size
Roof slates
Bricks
Concrete
Corrugated iron
Solar lights / panels
Use your imagination, if you think we could put it to good use, we probably can!

Unwanted / Broken jewellery
Warm winter clothing (second hand of course!) Including wellies and gloves of all sizes for volunteers.
Dog coats of all sizes
Leads and collars of all sizes
Water troughs
Cat litter
Coal
Single Mattresses
Paint: any old cans of paint collecting dust in your garage could be used here! We will happily take your old brushes and rollers off you too 🙂
Old bedding: in this cold weather, your old bedding will make an old dog very happy indeed!
Brick-a-brack: we plan to do as many boot fairs as possible this summer so would be happy to relieve you of unwanted possessions 🙂
Cleaning products – as you can imagine, especially in the muddy winter months, we have a lot of cleaning to do so we are asking for ethical cleaning products.

Animal feed:

Dog and cat food
Ferret food
Sheep nuts
Mixed corn – all the farmed animals love mixed corn and it is so good for them!

VOLUNTEERS

Handy people: We have been given a used shed, so if any handy people out there would like to donate a few hours of their time to help us put it together, we guarantee a delicious Vegan meal as thanks!
Motor Mechanics: We have two vehicles at the sanctuary and both are indispensable. Our tractor, an old Ford 3000, is essential in the winter to ensure the cows, sheep and pigs are regularly strawed out to keep warm and to transport the hay to the sheep and cows. Our Transit van is used daily to collect the pig feed and we would be lost without it. Mechanics are expensive so if any mechanics are out there who are willing to very occasionally volunteer their time, then please give us
a call!
Fundraisers: We hold an annual fundraiser at the sanctuary but due to commitments at the sanctuary are not able to hold more than one a year. So please use some of your spare time to organise a fundraiser to raise awareness of F.R.I.E.N.D and much needed funds for the sanctuary.
Builders: As you will see in this appeal we have asked for posts and rails, this is to redo the fencing for the pigs and the sheep as it is falling down! If you are able to help with some physical labour then please get in touch.
Others: Whilst we don’t have jobs for other skills sets at this time, the future is very fluid so if you think you have skills we may need then PLEASE let us know so we can keep your details on file for future. We do accept no for an answer if you are not able to help at the drop of a hat 🙂

WISH LIST

To try and earn money for the sanctuary during these difficult times which have resulted in donations drying up, my husband is looking for work doing odd jobs in the neighbourhood, one of these being gardening. So if you have any gardening tools you would be happy to part with then please send them our way. If you are updating to a new lawnmower we would be happy to take your old one off your hands!
A steam cleaner would be a great help for heavy duty soiling in some of the buildings and a jet wash for cleaning animal pens would be invaluable and a huge time saver.
The house is very old and very drafty so if any of you are in the window replacement business, or if you have contacts in the industry, then please contact me.
If you have a working printer you no longer need, preferably one where the inks don’t cost the earth, we would like to start printing appeals for bedding, animal feed etc to put up in our local area.
Each year we hold a Festival Fundraiser and have to hire a marque, if you have one you are willing to loan to us for a few days in July that would be fantastic. Of course if you had one you wanted to get rid of that would be even better 🙂

OTHER

Our vet bills are never ending and although the support we received after our last appeal has been so heartening, we have had to make use of our vet numerous times since then and that pesky bill is still there! If anyone would like to assist, our vet will accept contributions directly, his details are: Putlands Veterinary Surgery, T: 01892 835 456. Please specify that the money is towards the vet bills for Marion Eaton, the founder of F.R.I.E.N.D.
Speak to your local shop owners for permission to leave one of our collection tins near the till.
Download the standing order form to set up a monthly contribution (pdf opens in new tab).

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ OUR APPEAL, A GOLD STAR IF YOU GOT ALL THE WAY THROUGH!!

BEST WISHES

MARION EATON AND ALL AT F.R.I.E.N.D

T: 0786 687 9851
E: sanctuarydog@gmail.com
W: www.friendsanimalrescue.org.uk