ten years ago I came across an exotic pet in the UK, a Racoon, which changed the course of my life forever. The Racoon was shivering and snarling in a small pet carrier box in a cold dark garage with its fur wet and filthy from its urine and faeces. The owners had become afraid of it so only small pieces of food were being trickled in through the cage as they didn’t want to open the lid. A snarl was met with a kick to the cage. I took the Racoon home with the car windows down. 

I am seeking support for the rescue centre which emerged as a result of meeting this bedraggled snarling Racoon in the garage. We have been operational for ten years.

The problem is that it is still easy and legitimate for anybody in the UK, with no checks or balances, to buy and own a long list of wild animals, whose needs are complex, costly and rarely met in a typical domestic set up. On this list are Monkeys and Meerkats. The purchase is often on a whim, with little thought or research into the animals needs. These "pets" are then so often subjected, when the cute baby phase has passed, to a life of hell. For example, Meerkats kept on concrete floors in small boxes in a dark barn and bred for the pet trade, monkeys kept in parrot cages with no access to sun, trees, or company. Racoons trapped in cages so small that they could not walk and for months after rescue could only move in small circles.

The centre today is home to 248 animals across 33 different species.

Every animal that comes to the centre gets an enclosure designed around their specific requirements, enabling them to exhibit their natural behaviours, whether swimming, sunbathing, digging, foraging and swinging through trees. They are also offered the social set up their species has chosen for themselves in the wild, diets that are as close to the wild as possible, husbandry, genuine care and respect. I don’t want to turn animals away and we are building enclosures and enriching those already built on a continuous basis. Yesterday someone convinced me to try crowd funding to help contribute to the centre where bills for food, medicines, operations for those arriving sick and injured, enclosures, bedding are high and relentless. This centre will continue to be privately funded, it is not a registered charity, but with some public support we can offer the animals even more and open the doors to more that require a fresh start and a forever home.

The Racoon that triggered the centre now enjoys his days with five other Racoons, with an enriched indoor and outdoor enclosure, sun, paddling pool (they love water) hammocks, trees, and care. He is no longer aggressive and loves to play with his new friends and humans.

If you would prefer to specify how your donation money is spent please do so or to send supplements/products against a list of items we regularly use, instead of money, this is appreciated also.

Thank you for reading