Vet pair risk haunted jail
Reporter: DAWN ECKERSLEY
Date published: 22 January 2009
Nurses to rescue of mistreated animals
A PAIR of Mossley veterinary nurses will spend the night in jail to raise funds for mistreated animals abroad.
Jo Welsby and Stacey Barlow, who work at Ian McConnell Veterinary Practice, are preparing for a sponsored overnight stay in the haunted Derby Gaol to help Cypriot charities Sirius Dog Sanctuary and Peyia Animal Rescue Club.
Cyprus has a shocking record of animal cruelty and there is a huge problem with stray animals due to lack of education and ignorance about neutering.
Both Sirius Dog Sanctuary and Peyia Animal Rescue Club (PARC) rely solely on the tireless work of their teams of devoted volunteers to function.
Sirius Dog Sanctuary is run from a disused factory with no water supply and no electricity. In 2008, it successfully rehomed 230 dogs locally and to visitors from other countries.
It currently spends around 1,000 euros a month on veterinary fees but the shelter is under threat of closure by the Cypriot government which has earmarked the land for other purposes.
An online petition has been created at www.petitiononline.com/sirius03/petition.html
PARC rescues dogs and cats but has no shelter so relies on volunteer fosterers to care for animals.
It also regularly feeds the many colonies of feral cats in hotel grounds and public places and arranges trap- and-neuter programmes. PARC’s monthly veterinary bill is around 1,500 euros and food bills are 500 euros a month.
Jo and Stacey hope that by raising additional funds for both charities, more awareness can be created and more animals saved.
They will complete the night in jail on Sunday, March 8. Visit www.derbygaol.com or www.mcconnellvets.co.uk for more information.
