Dog sanctuary hit by flood woe

A Flood-Prone dog rescue centre in Trimsaran is struggling to keep its head above water.

The situation at Lizzie's Barn Animal Sanctuary has become so severe the building where the dozens of sick animals are kept has become virtually uninhabitable.

When a deluge strikes, the animals in the barn have to take refuge on sofas and elevated crates, with the family who own the sanctuary also unable to occupy the ground floor of their home.

Fiona Ashman runs the sanctuary with her husband Nick and their son Toby, and has spent most of her life looking after animals in need.

"The water gets into the barn where the dogs are kept — it can be up to around 12in," she said.

"Also, the downstairs of the house has been filled in with rubble.

"Llanelli is bad for flooding but, because it affects lots of people, they have done something about it. We feel a bit ignored out here and it is going to cost us around £5,000 to raise the floor to help stop the damage."

Their plight has attracted the attention of Raffles, a voluntary organisation which helps abandoned Greyhounds and other breeds in distress.

Raffles founder Gwyneth Anthony has committed herself to helping the centre.

She added: "Her dogs are wonderful, but they have left her with lots of medical bills. The flooding in the barn has caused lots of damage. She needs help with what's going on."

Mrs Ashman takes in all breeds of dogs.

Most of the dogs she takes in have health problems, and medical bills are often high, with one Alsatian's eye treatment costing £7,000. Mrs Ashman had to raise some of the funds with a sponsored bike ride.

She has looked after dogs since she was nine, taking pets for walks while their owners were busy.

By the time she was 13, she regularly looked after four animals and took courses. She later set up a sanctuary in Sussex. She moved to South Wales 12 years ago, but was not told her house had a tendency to flood.

Looking to the future, Mrs Ashman is determined to carry on with her work despite the situation.

She said: "In our dreams, we are going to meet a millionaire. But in reality, we will have to raise ourselves above the water level off our own backs."

Story credit - thisissouthwales.co.uk