Warwickshire animal sanctuary owner invites visitors to celebrate her 80th birthday and meet her 400-strong rescue family
An animal sanctuary owner in Warwickshire is inviting people to celebrate her 80th birthday and meet the woolly family that have helped her along her life’s journey.
Carole Webb, along with sanctuary volunteers, is hosting an open day on August 11 at Farm Animal Rescue Sanctuary (FARS) in Wolverton.
Visitors can take a tour and meet the Woolly Park residents, browse stalls and enjoy vegan-friendly refreshments.
Carole, a former veterinary nurse, began growing her adoptive family in 1988, after taking in a sickly lamb, named Larry, from a farmer.
After falling for little Larry, Carole began rescuing more poorly lambs – namely the ‘Diddly Family’ – and her woolly menagerie continued to expand, forcing her to move from her Hertfordshire home to the 59 acre site in Wolverton.
Today, some 400 animals, including around 350 sheep, pigs, rabbits and chickens call the sanctuary home, many who are old and living with disabilities – from loss of limbs to arthritis.
But while the animals are able to live out their days peacefully, life at FARS has not always been easy.
The sanctuary owner and her team have faced numerous hardships over the years due to weather extremes affecting food supplies and damaging buildings, as well as the impact of covid and soaring costs.
Regardless of the challenges, Carole is not one to turn away an animal in need and is known to pay out her own pocket to keep them from harm.
Not only that, since moving to Woolly Park, Carole has opted to live in a mobile home to keep down her personal living costs to provide the animals the utmost safety and comfort, particularly for the older and more vulnerable FARS residents.
And, over the years, Carole’s menagerie has proved as much a lifeline for her as she is to them.
In the earlier days when Carole was growing her flock in Hertfordshire, tragedy struck when her daughter Melanie died, aged 32, of a heart attack in her arms.
More devastation followed when her mother passed away shortly after, following a battle with breast cancer.
Despite the hardship and heartache Carole has faced, she continues to fight for the best life possible for her rescue family, along with FARS staff and volunteers.
Carole said: "I consider myself lucky as I have been able to live most of my life doing what I want - rescuing animals and giving them a loving life. Heartbreak has come along the way, but my passion to rescue outweighs the many heartbreaks I have had. My animals are my life, and my goal is to make their lives happy and care free, free from fear and pain."
The open day will take place on Sunday August 11, from 10am to 5pm. Tickets are £5 or £3.50 for those under 12.
Visit www.farmanimalrescuesanctuary.co.uk for more information and booking. Tickets can also be bought on the door. Fees will go towards the sanctuary’s annual running costs which rely entirely on donations and amount to more than £100,000.