Sanctuary 'proud' 85 years on from animal deaths

Nina, Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon set up Ferne Animal Sanctuary in response to a wave of animal deaths

Managers of an animal sanctuary set up in response to a wave of animal deaths in 1939 say they are proud to continue the work 85 years later.

Ferne Animal Sanctuary Charity near Chard, Somerset, was established when hundreds of thousands of pets were put to sleep by their owners who were scared about the start of World War Two.

The sanctuary was set up by Nina Douglas-Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon, at the Ferne Estate in Donhead St Andrew, in Wiltshire, before it moved to Somerset in the 1960s.

Animal care manager, Nikki Haddock, said: "I would like to think [Nina] would be really proud her operation is still running."

Kevan Hodges said he was proud of the charity's history

Marking the anniversary, charity's current CEO, Kevan Hodges, said: "It [the charity] comes from a distressing story, which then leads to what I think is the greatest animal rescue story of all-time.

"What Lady Nina did saved so many animals."

The charity was started after a pamphlet by the government's National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee (NARPAC) was distributed to people in larger cities before the outbreak of war in 1939.

It suggested people with animals should send them to the countryside or, if this was not possible, and nobody else would take them, it said "it really is kindest to have them destroyed".

The Ferne Estate in Wiltshire was the sanctuary's first home, but it was demolished in the 1960s

In the week following the outbreak of World War Two, people started acting on the pamphlet's suggestions.

Mr Hodges told the BBC more than 400,000 animals are thought to have been put to sleep.

Horrified by what was happening, the duchess decided to open her estate home in Wiltshire as a sanctuary, taking in cats and dogs from larger cities.

Having moved to Chard in Somerset, the sanctuary now looks after about 300 animals.

Ms Haddock said: "The variety of animals is increasing, we've got more of a reach into difference species. And the help we are bringing to more people, I think Nina would be really proud of the work."

Nikki Haddock works with the 300 animals on the site

Mr Hodges said the recent cost of living crisis has been "unprecedentedly tough" for the charity with "spiralling" costs.

"In the last 12 months, vet and medical [bills], is 60% up year on year," he said.

"If you combine that with our other costs, roughly a 45% to 50% year on year increase, for us as a charity, that makes a cost difference at about £450,000.

"We've had to make some fundamental changes this year to re-adjust our cost balance."

But he said despite the challenges they "have to continue Nina's work".