Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary

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Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary

Hope for the Future

Text HELPCLAS 5 to 70460 to pledge £5 monthly. Visits by appointment! Once upon a time there were two horses called Kim and Candy.

Sadly that was where the fairytale ended. Their story is the story of Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary, or at least the beginnings of it. The failure of the animal welfare system in Northern Ireland to look after Kim and Candy prompted me to apply for charitable status in 1996. The subsequent years have been full of heartache, tears, anger and ultimately triumph. I promised myself that, whilst Ki

m and Candy had been failed by the welfare system and the ignorance of the rescue centre they were placed in, the horses, ponies and donkeys who came into the care of CLAS would never be denied the love and attention they so desperately deserved. Crosskennan on opening our gates were for equines; horses ponies and donkeys but we have never turned any animal in need away when we can help them. Over the years we have helped an average of 400 animals annually and now in our 25th year we are home to an average of 150 animals on a long term or permanent residency. The last 25 years certainly have not been easy but have made us all the more determined to improve the situation in Northern Ireland. Ignorance is a great stumbling block and time and time again we have found ourselves up against it. It is ignorance that allows a mare to be locked up in a stable in filth for years without regular food or water or exercise. It is ignorance that allows 13 cats to be left to fend for themselves, turning wild and fighting among themselves, in a house after the owner passed away. And it is ignorance that allows a trotting horse to be driven to his death on a public road. Old habits die hard and attitudes are firmly entrenched but we are determined to fight on to make Northern Ireland a better place for all animals. In the meantime, however, we will continue with our educational and cross community approach to animal welfare. Through our Animal's Helping People workshops and training we hope that the next generation of animal owners will be wiser and more informed than this one. Our story isn’t all doom and gloom though. We have the support of many kind people, friends and volunteers who keep the sanctuary running. We also have many success stories. The mare walled up in misery and filth now has a super home and 12 of the 13 cats have all been treated, spayed, and rehomed: living wonderful lives with new families. We may have helped these animals but their triumphs are down to them. They are a testimony to the resilience of animals to overcome psychological and physical abuse and neglect. Their ability to forgive mankind for the terrible deeds inflicted upon them is surely one of the most amazing phenomena of life. Our work has taught us many lessons, some of them humbling, some of them inspiring, all of them worth learning. Our motto is ‘Hope for the future: Help us trust Again’ and it will be for as long as it takes to make a difference in Northern Ireland. We realise that we cannot change the world but that doesn’t stop us trying.

16/01/2025

❗️INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING WITH US? ❗️

On the 29th January 2025 from 7:00pm - 8:00pm we are holding an informational evening for anyone interested in volunteering with the equines or with the small animals.

This is open to everyone, just come along, see the sanctuary and learn a little bit about the work we do. Hopefully you will gain a great insight into what volunteering at Crosskennan is like, and how you can make a positive difference in the lives of our rescue animals.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

See you there!

15/01/2025

🐈 FLOOR MATS WANTED 🐈

All of our cats love a cosy rug to roll about and play on, or like Seren here, just to sleep on!

If anyone has a clean mat/rug, no bigger than 6x4, that they would like to donate to our cats we would love to put them to use in our cat cabin, cat shed and the barn kitchen (currently occupied by our newest arrivals!)

15/01/2025

🐶 Interested in obedience or agility and looking for a new companion? 🐶

Caelan and Maisey are both looking for special people who would be interested in coming to the sanctuary to work with them over a period of time, with a view to rehome either one of them. 🤞🏻

This will be done under the supervision of our sanctuary manager, but it would be essential that you have some previous dog experience, as like most collies they are both extremely clever, sensitive dogs with a lot to offer!

We truly believe that when we find the right people who are willing to invest time into them, both Caelan and Maisey would be excellent partners for someone who has an interest in obedience training, agility or something similar. They both have brains to burn and love to use them! ❤️

If you are interested, please email us at [email protected]

14/01/2025

With a fresh start comes a new name. To honour this handsome boy’s second chance we have decided to change his name from Kieran to Caelan, a name meaning graceful and bright. ❤️

So far, he is doing excellently at the sanctuary. He knows very little in terms of training, but is proving to be exceptionally smart and has already made a few friends here!

13/01/2025

‼️ ATLAS IS NOW URGENT ‼️

We urgently need to find a new home for Atlas, due to unforeseen circumstances, his current family is no longer able to provide him with the care and support he needs. Atlas is still a pup so he needs a loving home where he can get the attention and training he requires.

If you can offer Atlas a new home or can help please email [email protected] ASAP.

Please note, Atlas is not at the sanctuary, he is on our Home from Home program - he remains with his current owner until a new home is found.

‼️URGENT‼️
Rehoming - Home From Home
- Atlas
- Lurcher Pup (Whippet X Collie mix)
- Male
- 7 Months old

Lurchers are very often overlooked, we have no idea why - we are huge fans here & know that they make the most fantastic pets! They have a strong desire for bursts of exercise, due to their sighthound heritage. But their favourite thing in the world is a comfy bed.💕

Atlas is mixed with collie, so he will likely be a clever & energetic dog. He requires all basic training. His current family have made the decision to rehome him, as they can no longer provide the time and attention needed.

Best Match:
• Families with older children, as his enthusiasm sometimes leads to him jumping up.
• He can be rehomed as an only dog or with another dog (pending meet & greet). He’s great with other dogs when out and he currently lives with an older female.
• Someone experienced with a similar breed OR someone eager to provide him with plenty of stimulation and training.
• He cannot be rehomed with smaller animals.

He hasn't been neutered so this will be a condition of his adoption.

If you're interested in rehoming this pup - click the link below to apply:
https://www.crosskennanlane.co.uk/dog-re-homing-application

PLEASE NOTE - HOME FROM HOME - this dogs is not at the sanctuary and will remain in his home until a new home is found.

Unfortunately, due to the large number of applications we can receive per dog, we do have to state that we may not be able to contact every unsuccessful home.

If this dog is not suitable for your home perhaps one of our other dogs looking for homes would be - do check them out on our website.

Adoptive homes will only be considered in NORTHERN IRELAND. We are sorry we cannot accommodate further afield but this ensures we can carry out effective home checks and you have a chance to meet the dog before adoption

13/01/2025

UPDATE!

Duke of Edinburgh, animals helping people, visits and on site activities!

Our Animals Helping People Education and Therapy volunteer has been taking some time due to illness and a bereavement. They are back this week and will be getting back to all those who have contacted about Duke of Edinburgh placements, visits, therapy and education this week.

Thank you for your patience, we look forward to having you visit the sanctuary soon!

For any queries please email [email protected]

13/01/2025

Beautiful girl Judy hanging out in the cabin ❤️

She’s such a great girl, even whilst the cats were running around playing she just sat calmly and watched. 🥰

13/01/2025

Thank you to Billy McVeigh for his kind donation of blankets, toys and bowls for the dogs ❤️

13/01/2025

Konah
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
6 Years
Neutered

Konah is currently living with his littermate but she has started picking fights with him and with a baby in the house both dogs are having to spend more time in the barn. He is a gentle soul and is looking for a home of his own asap.

He can live with another dog and would definitely enjoy the company. He can live with children over the age of 5 (this is a guideline and is flexible as he is very friendly).
Konah has never been tested with cats.

Konah is healthy, well trained, walks well on the lead and has good recall. He greets other dogs gently and loves to play with dogs and people alike.

If you feel you could offer Konah a home, please get in touch with us by filling in the online form linked below, as
https://www.crosskennanlane.co.uk/dog-re-homing-application

PLEASE NOTE - HOME FROM HOME - this dog is currently not at the sanctuary and will remain in his home until a new home is found.

Unfortunately, due to the large number of applications we can receive per dog, we do have to state that we may not be able to contact every unsuccessful home.

If this dog is not suitable for your home perhaps one of our other dogs looking for homes would be - do check them out on our website.

Adoptive homes will only be considered in NORTHERN IRELAND. We are sorry we cannot accommodate further afield but this ensures we can carry out effective home checks and you have a chance to meet the dog before adoption.

12/01/2025

❤️ NAME IDEAS NEEDED ❤️

You may have seen our post earlier, the landlord who brought us ten cats got in touch to tell us he had managed to catch the remaining three cats from the property. And we knew, like the ten we took in previously, these guys really needed us. We are hoping our followers can help us come up with some name suggestions!

🎵 We have two girls, the smaller tabby and the tortoiseshell, and one tabby boy. Their names need to fit in with the theme of ‘Singers or musical artists’. Please comment your ideas for each cat! 🎵

Right now, they are still scared and just want to hide… but we have no doubt they will settle in shortly. The other cats from the property have all done so brilliantly, with Freddie and Peter already rehomed! Amy, Taylor, Pixie and Robbie are still looking for their forever homes, and so will these three once they’ve been properly assessed and had a chance to decompress.

12/01/2025

🚗 TRANSPORT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! 🚗

We are urgently seeking transport volunteers to help take our smaller animals to and from their vet appointments. Excluding equines, we currently have 30+ cats and 10+ dogs onsite. The 13 cats we’ve taken in over the past two months are especially in need of vet trips. With our staff and volunteers already stretched thin, we’re really struggling to manage all the journeys throughout the week while tending to the animals onsite.

If you have transport, we can cover your petrol costs.

If you’re able to help, please email [email protected] Your support would make a world of difference to our animals and our team.

12/01/2025

THANK YOU to the kind person who came up to the sanctuary on Friday and left blankets, quilts, tea, towels, and food - you couldn’t have arrived at a better time!

Some of the blankets were put to use immediately. Kieran, who is currently staying in a stable while we work on refurbishing our kennels (which will be heated!), was the first to benefit. Unfortunately, the kennels have been delayed as we wait on materials from England. For now, Kieran is counting on manager Lyn to regularly bring him heat pads for his bedding!

The rest of the blankets went to our newest arrivals - these three young cats. As you can see, they’re still very nervous, but we know they’ll come around soon, just like the other ten from the emergency case before Christmas.

Thank you for all of your support!

To learn more about us and support our work please visit www.crosskennanlane.co.uk

11/01/2025

‼️FOUND‼️
This lovely ginger and white cat has been spotted a few times around Crosskennan, we’re wondering if anyone nearby recognises them or knows who they might belong to. If we can’t find their owner, we’ll look at trapping them safely to check for a microchip. Please let us know if you have any information - we’d love to help them find their way home!

contact us via email [email protected]

10/01/2025

🎄❤️ CHRISTMAS BALLOT 2024 ❤️🎄

Due to the effort made by our supporters who took ballot tickets to sell, and those who bought them, the ballot raised approximately £5000!

Those of you who went the extra mile, knowing that funds are low, thank you and well done!

09/01/2025

The best bits of the last few days….
The snow and ice has created a lot of problems, and generally made our lives that little bit harder…. But it’s difficult not to stop and appreciate these little moments of beauty at the sanctuary ❤️

09/01/2025

❗️SORTED! Thank you Stephen!❗️

❄️🕊️ HELP NEEDED 🕊️❄️

Is there anyone who has a decent car and would be able to travel to Greenmount and pick up some wild bird seed and chicken feed for us today?

The wild birds depend on us for food in this cold weather. Our chickens have generously shared some of their food, but are now running out too.

Can you help? Please let us know.

08/01/2025

We collected Kieran from Carrick Dog Shelter on Sunday. He had been handed in after spending some time tied up on a chain, completely shut down and avoiding any human interaction. With our experience rehabilitating collies, we knew we could step in to help. We are delighted to be able to give this boy a chance.

Kieran is still anxious, but as you can see he’s starting to come around! He will be rehabilitated prior to rehoming, just like Tess and Elsie - two collies we rehomed in loving forever homes.

We will keep you all updated on his progress.

In the meantime, can you please help us with blanket & clean duvet donations? These can be dropped off at the sanctuary.

Thank you for your support!

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http://www.crosskennanlane.co.uk/

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Little Charlie had a wonderful time enjoying the last of the snow at the weekend! ❄️ Despite his charm, Charlie is still patiently waiting for an application. Sadly, he’s had very little interest so far. We’d love nothing more than for Charlie to leave the kennels and find his perfect match. At 10 years old, this lovely boy doesn’t need a lot of exercise - just a chance to experience the love and comfort of a forever home for the first time in his life. He would make a fantastic companion for someone special. If you feel you could offer a foster or permanent home please fill out an application online at https://www.crosskennanlane.co.uk/foster-application Alternatively you can email: [email protected]

The best bits of the last few days…. The snow and ice has created a lot of problems, and generally made our lives that little bit harder…. But it’s difficult not to stop and appreciate these little moments of beauty at the sanctuary ❤️

We collected Kieran from Carrick Dog Shelter on Sunday. He had been handed in after spending some time tied up on a chain, completely shut down and avoiding any human interaction. With our experience rehabilitating collies, we knew we could step in to help. We are delighted to be able to give this boy a chance. Kieran is still anxious, but as you can see he’s starting to come around! He will be rehabilitated prior to rehoming, just like Tess and Elsie - two collies we rehomed in loving forever homes. We will keep you all updated on his progress. In the meantime, can you please help us with blanket & clean duvet donations? These can be dropped off at the sanctuary. Thank you for your support!