A Review of 2009
2009 was the second complete calendar year that Brinsley Animal Rescue existed and our first complete year as a charity.
We have had many challenges, many low points and many successes which have helped us carry on with the thankless task of rescuing 600 animals each year.
We would like to thank everyone who has helped us. Thank you to all of our volunteers and donors, and thank you to our vets and suppliers.
This year we have rescued over 600 animals and we have had to raise £15,000 to run the sanctuary.
We generally look after approximately 150 animals at any one time.
In 2009 we have rescued 151 pets, 304 farm animals and 142 wild animals. This includes 83 rabbits, 27 guinea pigs, 3 ponies, 280 chickens, 30 hedgehogs and even a blind bull.
Please click on the links below to read about some of the successes of 2009;
January – Brinsley Animal Rescue became a Charity
February – We took in our first rescue pony Coco, one of three ponies we took on in 2009.
Click on image for full story
March – We took in our first cow, not any cow but a blind bull! Boris was saved from slaughter by us. Being blind he was not financially viable to the beef farmer who gave him to us.
He is now a very friendly bull that demands fuss, love and attention, he is loved by all and a favourite of our volunteers even though he is now over a half tonne in weight and still growing.
Boris will have a home here for life.
Click on image for full story
April – We took on the hand rearing of three baby orphaned squirrels. The spring and summer were particularly very busy for us, hand rearing all kinds of birds, fox cubs, wild rabbits and even 3 wild mice which were a particular challenge being so small.
Click on image for full story 
May – We rescue two more pigs taking our total to 12. We did though manage to rehome 3 pigs in 2009.
Click on image for full story
June – We rescued another 100 ex-battery hens, hens that after a short 12 months of having a torrid life, were due to become pet food. These were a few of the 280 we rescued in 2009.
Click on image for full story
July – six, three day old duck chicks were brought to us after they became orphaned. After a few weeks hand rearing them, whilst attempting to keep them wild, we could finally release these little chaps. I have never seen ducks so excited than these when they reached the lake!
August – saw the first bird of prey come to us. It was very rewarding to repair his damaged wing and release him after 2 months in a hospital cage and then an aviary. We have since taken in a buzzard.
Click on image for full story
August – Daisy the wild mallard had a hard time. She was found with her foot hanging off and when a member of the public tried to rescue her, she took off and flew into a bus in Nottingham City Centre. Fortunately she was caught and brought to us. We had to have her foot amputated.
Initially she could not swim with one leg. Following a few sessions splashing around in our bath and turning our bathroom into a right mess, she’d cracked it. So if you ever see a one footed duck in the wild, it’s possibly Daisy.
Click on image for full story
September – we took in a Swan that had been injured after picking up a fishing hook in her foot. Following treatment and a couple of weeks with us we knew she was ready to go when she started rattling on her pen door.
A crowd gathered at the side of the lake as we opened the cage, her partner, looking anxiously started to coo. She swam over so excitedly, we had tears rolling down our cheeks when the pair were visibly so overjoyed to see each other again.
Swans mate for life, I can honestly state that I have never seen two animals so pleased to see each other. It moments like this that make the 14 hour days worthwhile.
Click on image for full story
September – We took in 6 baby goats in 2007 which were the unwanted byproduct of the milk industry. We hand reared them and rehomed two in 2008.
The other 4 remained with us and we finally rehomed them in 2009, a sad but very happy day for us. They now live in a 3 acre field on a valley in Halifax. These chaps were very excited in their new field, but cried as we left them. It can be so hard rehoming our animals, but we have to make space for the next needy animals.
Click on image for full story
October – This was the start of a constant stream of hedgehogs in need of rescue.
In the spring and summer we are hand rearing the orphaned babies, the winter brings the ones too small to hibernate less than 600 grams).
We currently have 8, they need to be cleaned out and fed every day. Each hog eats a half tin of cat food every day.
Click on image for full story
