A FLINTSHIRE donkey sanctuary has made a desperate plea for funds so it can move to its forever home.
River Link Donkeys & Animal Sanctuary, in Mancot, Deeside, has launched a fundraising appeal as it prepares to move a new home.
The sanctuary is leaving its current site in September - and needs to raise around £20,000 so it can transfer all its animals, shelters and other items. A GoFundMe page has been set up and can be accessed via https://shorturl.at/yyqRE.
River Link is home to more than 30 donkeys and horses. The animals, many of whom have experienced trauma or neglect, become part of a deeply therapeutic environment that supports vulnerable individuals across a wide range of communities.
Hospitals, veterans and social services are all regular visitors who benefit from the animals at River Link.
It is run by a small team of dedicated volunteers who are committed to providing the very best care while maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare, and receives no financial help from the government and other agencies.
Last winter, the sanctuary was able to buy new shelters for its animals on a back of a successful fundraising appeal.
But it needs people's help again - with its current site becoming untenable.
The Hynet carbon capture pipeline runs right through the sanctuary's current home - leaving it with little available grazing land.
The new site in Flintshire would also allow the sanctuary to move all its animals from its three other sites in Wirral to one forever home.
Marion Thompson, who runs the sanctuary, said: "A wonderful opportunity has arisen for River Link to move to a new site where all of our donkeys can finally be together.
"By bringing all of our donkeys onto one site, we can provide them with a safe, secure forever home, with more than enough grazing and the space they deserve. It will also allow us to welcome more donkeys whose owners can no longer care for them due to ill health, and those desperately in need of rescue.
"Due to the (Hynet) pipeline and the very dry summer, we have no grazing at all. We've used all our winter hay to feed the animals."
Marion said they need to raise the funds needed to move everything to the new site.
"We have to take all our shelters down and prepare the new place where we're moving to, and the transport of the animals," she said.
"We've been quoted £19,000 and we need the money desperately to move."
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She added: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give every donkey in our care a safe, secure future and the chance to live together in one permanent home.
"Every donation, no matter how small, will help make this dream a reality.
"Thank you for helping our donkeys take the next step towards their forever home."
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