A desperate plea has been issued by a family behind a Moray animal rescue centre that is facing closure.
The work being undertaken by the Stevens family at Backies Farm between Keith and Cullen will come to a grinding halt in June unless new premises can be found.
22-year-old Amy Stevens leased the farm from a family friend Tom Brown in 2012 – however, Mr Brown passed away last year and now executors of his estate has told the family the rolling tenancy they had would end.
That has left Ms Stevens and her family with the dilemma of where to place the rescue animals in their care – including sheep, goats, eight pigs and 30 horses and dogs.
Unless the family can secure new accommodation in the next few weeks they fear that the animals may all have to be humanely destroyed.
The Stevens family, originally from Norfolk, had hoped to obtain charitable status for their sanctuary by the end of this year – now they say they have just five weeks before they become homeless.
Amy Stevens told a P&J reporter: “It feels like there is nothing we can do – on the day we get kicked out of the house the animals get killed. Most of the animals came to us as a last resort, a last chance – the reason we have them is that nobody else would.”
She added that while there were other animal charities they were already overwhelmed and could only advise them to have the animals put down. Now Ms Stevens has issued an appeal for someone to come forward and offer them a piece of land on which to home the sanctuary.
“It does not matter how run-down it is – we will rent it and do the work on it if it means we can save the lives of these animals.”
Anyone who believes they can help the family is asked to contact them on 07929 366431.