It’s all about the Bills

Not bird bills although we do see a lot of them needing help. Those dreaded bills that we need to pay to keep the sanctuary going. Winter has been a really tough time in our corner of the world and we desperately need emergency funding to help pay for vets fees, utility bills, insurance, food, repairs and all the other costs of running Derbyshires busiest animal and wildlife sanctuary.

“Our vets bills came to over £2000 for the christmas period”

With no funding from local authorities or national support, we rely entirely on the generosity of our supporters and members of the public. Every day we receive numerous calls from wildlife lovers, pet owners, vets, councils and emergency services for advice and help. We even had a call from London just the other day asking for advice about injured pigeons. We open every day to provide assistance.

It’s a horrible day when the post man arrives with bills and demands for payment. Our wildlife and pet adoption programs are so successful but unfortunately success means more funds are required to be able to provide assistance and a safe place for the animals who need us. Please consider making a donation using the link below.

You can make a donation to our Bill Appeal here

We know its a tall ask when everyone is feeling the pinch but imagine if we didn’t exist. What would happen to all the wildlife that needs care?

Where would the stray cats and orphaned kittens go to? All the pets we see every year from guinea pigs to lost ferrets, homeless snakes, parrots, geckos, rabbits, pigs, horses – well you get the picture. We provide the loving care they deserve and have great success with our adoption and wildlife programs.

We see quite a few seaguls at the sanctuary – we suspect they have heard about our fish and chip dinners! All jokes aside, these fantastic birds are so intelligent. Sometimes they stop with us a few weeks and sometimes they become permanent residents if their injuries prevent them going back into the wild. Dunkin here, came to us when found in the Dunkin Donuts car park in Sheffield. He was wandering around slowly getting weaker before a Wildlife Angel came to the rescue and gave us a call. He came into the centre with bruising on the beak and eye so perhaps he had flown into something or been hit by a moving object. He was feeling very under the weather but is starting to perk up and has starting eating again. We are optimistic he will make a full recovery.

It’s not just about the animals of course. It’s the friends we meet along the way. Volunteers, Duke of Edinburgh students, social workers, work placements, schools and community clubs. We provide a community spirit where people can come and interact in a positive environment. Education is a big part of sanctuary life and we believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn more about wildlife and animals. We were recently approached by an examing board to ask if they could use one of our articles in an exam paper for students to learn more about about working with wildlife in the environment. It’s great to know that everything we do is helping to have a postive impact on future generations.

So we are asking for your help. If you are reading our pages, enjoying our stories (thanks Laura for posting to our social media with an update and slice of sanctuary life in your spare time), interacting with us on facebook, looking through our Instagram pics, watching a Tik Tok and you think we are doing a good job, please take a moment to consider helping us out. Whatever you can spare is truly appreciated.

You can donate through our website via our 10k Bill Appeal,

make a donation through our regular donation page, become a wildlife angel, fund raise for us with your own event, do some shopping on Easyfundraising or pop down to the centre between 9.30am – 12.00pm to make a pledge in person (say hi to our parrot team on the front desk reception).

Thanks for reading about our appeal. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone that continues to support us. You are truly amazing.