PACT Animal Sanctuary

Over the past 25 years, PACT has rehomed or released over 14,000 animals, and there are never fewer than 1,600 resident animals in our care. Birds, Rats, Gerbils, Hamsters, Ferrets, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Cats, Dogs, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Ponies, and Horses, and all species of British wildlife. Our main work includes the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of 50 dogs, 100 cats and 120 rabbits although all of our animals are available for rehoming if the environment they are going to will give them a better life than they have at the sanctuary.


PACT ANIMALS HELPS PEOPLE!

To advance the education of the public in the care of animals and the preservation, improvement and protection of the habitat and environment of animals.

PACT is now accepted as one of the best environments in Norfolk for animal welfare training. Every year we provide work experience for over 120 students from local colleges and schools. PACT has a dedicated team of employed animal care assistants and many volunteers, some who just love animals, and want to help our work, others are helpers experiencing health problems who come just to sit with the cats for an hour or so, or at different times to walk dogs, and still others who spend two or three days a week at the sanctuary. Working and being with the animals has proven to be an excellent aid to help people learn to cope and relate to other people.


THE HENRY HALLAM THERAPY CENTRE

To relieve the needs of people, who are in need as a result of disability, ill health, (physical or mental) unemployment, through animal assisted therapy.

In 2005 the charity won a lottery grant of £50,000 to rebuild the barnyard at the sanctuary, to provide facilities to house friendly animals in a relaxed atmosphere. This area is dedicated for disabled people and those with emotional and learning difficulties to benefit from a sanctuary where they can interact with animals and gain or regain confidence and self-respect without the necessity of coming into contact with many people.

The renovation provided a cuddle room study facility, a disabled toilet, two kennels for dogs, two small stables for goats and sheep, and a room for rodents, A room which is furnished as a lounge is home to older cats, where people using the room can relax with a cat on their lap.


OUR WORK WITH WILDLIFE

As our work with wildlife increased over the years it became obvious that we had to build a wildlife hospital to care for the many British wildlife who came to PACT for help. In 2014 we set up an appeal to raise £130,000 to build a complete wildlife complex. The main building was completed in 2018 it is made from recycled freezer lorry sides. It requires very little heating and is quite cool in summer. We now need another £40,000 to build the release aviaries needed to teach the birds to fly and some with ponds to acclimatize the wild fowl to water.

Included in the 15 acres at the Sanctuary, is an area of 2.5 acres with lakes, that is dedicated to wildlife. A predator proof fence has been erected so that injured wildlife, not able to survive in the wild, can be released there to live as normal a life as possible. The PACT Animal Ambulance is on 24-hour call out, on average, 15 emergency calls a week from the police and people reporting animals in need. Mainly these are wildlife that are attended, assessed, given immediate first aid and once taken to be cared for in the new wildlife hospital. We also have a fully equipped veterinary unit at the sanctuary where there are 2 full time vet nurses, and a vet responsible for the wellbeing of all our rescued animals.

During the winter we look after over 500 hedgehogs, mainly babies which we release in the spring. Most summers we look after and teach to fly over 500 fledglings. In total we make a difference to over 2,000 wild animals every year.