VOLUNTEERS from a local animal sanctuary fear that its closure may be on the horizon – which would leave the older and struggling animals they care for with nowhere to go.

Albert’s Horse Sanctuary in Cawthorne was originally intended just for horses, however volunteers’ ‘hearts took over’ and they’ve ended up with 20 horses, four goats, four sheep, one pig, two cats as well as some chickens and ducks currently living in their premises.

This menagerie is looked after by only a handful of volunteers, who handle the regular vet appointments the animals need and daily tasks like feeding and cleaning, all with only one car that was recently totalled in an accident that saw another vehicle smash into their building.

Funds to manage these various tasks have been drying up since they opened in 2005, and due to increasing financial difficulties there is now a concern they may have to close their doors for good.

Stacey Hepworth, who helped found the sanctuary with her mum Mary, told the Chronicle: “For a lot of years we tried to do it on our own, but obviously as more and more animals came in we needed some extra help and funding.

“We’d love to take more animals in but that’s just not possible because of the growing costs.

“A lot of our horses are getting old, we’re sort of becoming an old people’s home – they need lots of care and trips to the vets.

“It’s the same with the cats and the pig – there’s always someone at the vets whether it’s something little or something big.”

Their continued work is entirely funded by charitable donations, as people in the community help them afford food and useful supplies, all of which are becoming more expensive.

However, a recent fundraiser opened on Go Fund Me has failed to attract the support they were hoping for, with only £445 raised out of a £5,000 target.

Mary said that social media is like a ‘mind game’ and while they’re doing their best to draw attention to their plight they’re still falling behind.

On December 8 they will be hosting an open Christmas event where children can meet Santa and they will hopefully get some much-needed funding.

“I’ll be honest, we’re on our last legs with it,” Stacey added.

“We’re at a stage where we can’t find any more funding anywhere.

“Lots of people come to the sanctuary and the animals are so amazing – just straight away you see how people fall in love with them.

“We want to keep going, but we need help more than ever.”

Anyone wishing to support can find the charity’s fundraiser link here.