Shirley Patricia Deacon

The Woodside Animal Welfare Trust is an animal rehoming charity based on the outskirts of Plymouth in Devon. The foundation of Woodside’s broad field of work was begun in 1974 by Carole Bowles.As well as the young and healthy, our countryside sanctuary always has a collection of much loved resident pets that are unlikely to be adopted, such as the elderly and long-term sick. Sanctuary animals include dogs, cats, rabbits and hamsters etc as well as a few hand reared sheep, goats, horses and a pot bellied pig.Responsible pet ownership is actively encouraged and, when funds allow, we send experienced Welfare Officers into deprived areas. Here, they help owners understand their pet’s needs and promote our spay and neuter scheme, which will have prevented thousands of unwanted litters over the years.Woodside is a large and vital safety net for vulnerable animals. Running costs are high as many of our pets need veterinary attention and may be with us for weeks as they recover. ▼