Hundreds flock to PACT Animal Sanctuary open day

Scenes from the PACT Open Day 2016 in Woodrising. Picture: Matthew Usher. (Image: © ARCHANT NORFOLK 2016)

More than 400 people visited the PACT Animal Sanctuary, near Watton, for its first open day of the year.

As well as having the chance to meet a menagerie of rescued animals, from cats and dogs to birds and even goats, there were stalls and other entertainment including a circus workshop for children, organised by professional clown Zac.

The sanctuary's café proved a popular spot for visitors to enjoy a spot of lunch in the sun.

As well as providing an enjoyable day out, the open day on Sunday acted as a fundraising event for the charity.

Scenes from the PACT Open Day 2016 in Woodrising. Picture: Matthew Usher. (Image: © ARCHANT NORFOLK 2016)

Donations totalling £2,750 were received on the day, which the charity will put towards caring for the rescued animals it receives.

The sanctuary, which houses more than 800 animals on its site in Woodrising, is in the process of building a new wildlife facility.

The sanctuary's veterinary services were still operating as normal throughout the open day and nine rescued animals were brought in to be assessed and treated.

These included three sickly hedgehogs, one of which had to be rescued from a swimming pool, three fledglings caught by cats, a house martin and a magpie with severe orthopaedic injuries, and an exhausted, mostly pink parrot.

George Rockingham, from PACT, said: 'Our thanks go to all the volunteers who manned the stalls and games so well, and of course to our excellent staff, once more going the extra mile to make the animals and the sanctuary so attractive.'

There will be two more open days at the sanctuary this year, on July 17 and August 21.

For more information about PACT go to www.pactsanctuary.org.

Have you helped to rescue an animal in need? Email bethany.whymark@archant.co.uk.