'Please fence us in' says animal trust

And staff have come up with an imaginative project whereby donors make a difference in the name of someone special to them, or while commemorating a lost pet or friend.
The organisation provides shelter for stray or unwanted animals while it tries to find them a new and loving home.
Staff member Rachel Mattioni said: “Here at Trindledown Farm we’re unique in the sense that we are a retirement centre for animals, taking in the older ones that need the extra bit of ‘TLC’ in their later years while we look towards finding their forever home.
“We provide a home for a range of animals including horses, a donkey, alpacas, sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats and dogs. With the dedicated staff and volunteers, and the comfortable rooms we have here for the cats and dogs we provide a comfortable space until we can find a new home for them.”
But the centre was damaged earlier this year by severe flooding and Ms Mattioni said: “The floods damaged a lot of our fencing, which needs to be fixed as a priority due to the safety of the animals on site.”
Even though the worst flooding has receded, she added, high groundwater levels mean the fields are still sodden.
Ms Mattioni went on: “None of the fields will be safe for the animals to use because the fencing is so fragile and damaged. One gateway has already collapsed under the pressure of the water. Such damage could result in animals being able to get out on to the very busy main road.
“We’re still struggling. Luckily all of our animals and buildings have been okay, but everyone at the centre has been finding it difficult. The flooding across the driveway meant staff and volunteers could not get to the centre safely, resulting in us hiring a 4x4 to ‘taxi’ people to and from the centre.”
She added: “During this time, the centre has been closed to public, which means our rate of rehoming has greatly decreased, and we have also had to cancel our regular barn sales and spring fete, resulting in reduced fundraising for the centre.”
Consequently, the organisation has launched its ‘Fence Us In’ campaign to raise funds and awareness about the recent crisis.
Ms Mattioni said: “A large part of our campaign is to ask supporters to donate £10 to have a fencepost inscribed with a name of their choosing. We also have sponsorship forms so people can talk to their friends and family to ask if they can help support us.
“We also have ‘thank you’ gifts and activities as appreciation for people’s generosity.”
Supporters can also donate online via http://www.justgiving.com/fence-us-in, or they can text POST70 £2 to 70070 (the cash figure can be changed to any amount).