Hundreds of animals, including an epileptic pig, a blind and deaf dog and a three-legged cat will be put down after locals moaned about the noise coming from a rescue centre.
Up to 400 animals at the Happy Pants Ranch sanctuary now face death after neighbours kicked up a stink about over the din and took the charity to court.
The Kent-based rescue centre lost a legal appeal against an eviction notice and will now be forced to close.
Owner Amey James says if she cannot relocate the sanctuary before the nine-month notice is up the animals will be destroyed.
The charity, in Newington near Sittingbourne, cares for animals most of which have special needs including an epileptic pig, a blind and deaf dog and three-legged cats.
In 2021 the sanctuary moved to the 20 acre site but has been subject to numerous noise complaints from its neighbours.
The eviction is the culmination of a three-year battle with Swale Council to turn the use of the land from agricultural to animal rescue.
After the first planning appeal was refused, Happy Pants was issued an eviction notice.
Hundreds of animals, including Poppy the epileptic pig (pictured), are facing death after neighbours complained about the noise coming from their animal sanctuary
Up to 400 animals at the Happy Pants Ranch sanctuary – including this three-legged cat called Santo – could be put down after the Kent-based rescue lost its battle against eviction
Owner Amey James (pictured right) says if she cannot relocate the sanctuary before the nine-month notice is up the animals will be destroyed.
Amey appealed but this week found out it had been denied.
Now she has been given nine months to leave the land but says she does not have the funds to relocate.
She said: ‘I’m not quite sure how to put this because I’m finding it difficult to actually process this properly but I just found out that we lost the planning decision appeal and have been told we have nine months to vacate the land.
‘Although I always knew there was a chance of this utterly heartbreaking outcome I’ve always tried to be so positive.
‘I’m beyond devastated and feel in fact that my world, which is what this sanctuary is, just collapsed.
‘Right now my head and my heart both physically hurt.
‘Thank you to every, single one of those people who has supported me, the charity and all The Ranch animals in this long, stressful, costly, completely unnecessary battle.’
She said she could barely contemplate the consequences if she can’t relocate.
Amey (pictured) appealed against the decision but this week found out it had been denied
Pictured is Long Dog, one of the rescued animals who is blind and deaf, which is cared for at the centre
The charity, in Newington near Sittingbourne, cares for animals most of which have special needs including an epileptic pig, a blind and deaf dog and three-legged cats.
In 2021 the sanctuary moved to the 20 acre site but has been subject to numerous noise complaints from its neighbours
‘If we can’t move and we can’t stay, the animals will have to find homes,’ she said.
‘But of course that will be very difficult as they all came here because no one else would take them in due to age, medical conditions or behavioural issues.
‘And if they can’t find homes then there’ll be no choices left.
‘But over my dead body will I let anything happen to these animals.
‘They’re my family and I promised them they’d be safe for the rest of their lives.
‘So I have to do everything I can do to make sure that happens.’
She claimed: ‘But ultimately as the charity has no money to move anywhere, the council is signing these animals’ death warrant.
‘Because it begs the question if an animal sanctuary is not allowed in this rural location, then where is one allowed?’
Centre owner Amey (pictured) has been given nine months to leave the land but says she does not have the funds to relocate.
Amey broke down in tears after finding out the decision that she would be evicted from her site
Some 400 animals now face an uncertain future over the decision to evict their rescue centre. Pictured is Poppy the epileptic pig
Pictured: Amey at the sanctuary with one of her rescued animals
A spokesperson for Swale Council said: ‘The Happy Pants Ranch applied for retrospective planning approval in 2021 and after assessing the application against national planning policy and our own local planning policies this was rejected.
‘A planning enforcement notice was issued in 2022 to rectify these breaches, in line with our policies.
‘The notice was subsequently appealed by the applicant, and an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State dismissed the appeal, upheld our notice – subject to variations and agreed with our original refusal of planning permission.
‘The enforcement notice requires that the mix use of the site stops, and that the land needs to be restored to its original condition before the breaches took place.’
