An animal lover who took out a bank loan to save three cows from slaughter has thanked the sanctuary that has offered them a new home.
Claire Bruce from Blackburn took out a £5,000 loan to buy the animals from a local farmer after visiting them while walking.
She said: “I wanted to see what I could do to save them. I went to the bank, got a loan for £5,000 and went and bought them.”
Blaikiewell Animal Sanctuary in Deeside have since taken in the three cows, named Murdoch, Archie and Bailey, after Claire struggled to find somewhere to keep them.
Mavis Petrie runs the sanctuary, which was already home to more than 50 horses and ponies and four pigs.
It also houses any other animal or bird that needs a home, including dogs and cats.
Claire said: “Mavis is a truly wonderful woman who has given everything she has to provide a safe forever home to so many rescue animals.”
Mavis, who runs the sanctuary by herself, bought her first horse in 1977 to save it from meat dealers.
She said: “The cows are doing very well. They’ve been here about two months now and everyone has been making a fuss of them.”
To help pay for the costs of the sanctuary, she opened a riding school in 1985 but, with a declining number of users, the sanctuary is now in need of donations.
And Claire has urged people to give generously.
She said: “If you care about animals, please donate. There is no CEO receiving a huge wage. All donations go straight to the animals.”
Blaikiewell currently receives no government sponsorship or funding.