The Brinsley Blag Summer Issue 1

The 

Brinsley Blag 

Summer 2016 Issue 1 

Meet Our 

Cows! 

Say hello to Boris the blind bull and 

Herbie & Billy our two dairy calves 

Taming The 

Untameables 

A peek into the behind the scenes 

of taming wild horses 

Off To 

Market! 

The creative town of Sneinton 

newest idea! 

Mommy 

Dearest! 

How we cope with the large 

demand in hand rearing baby wild 

birds. 

Buddies For 

Bunnies 

* News 

* Events 

* Merchandise 

* Adoption 

* Sponsorship 

Why it is important for rabbits to 

have a friend wwww.brinsleyanimalrescue.org Summer Issue 2016 Page 1

In this Issue 

\ 

08 

News 

04 

06 

Centre news 

Rehoming News 

Farm 

08 

Meet Our Cows! 

Small Pets 

14 Buddies For Bunnies 20 

16 

Events 

What’s on 

Vegan 

Adoption 

22 

Sneinton Market 

Animals Looking 

For Homes 

Equine 

10 


Untameables 

Wildlife 

12 

Mommy Dearest! 

Sponsorship 

17 

Sponsor an animal 

Volunteering 

18 

News and Appeals 

Shop 

24 

The Lovely Tails 

Donation 

26 

Make a Donation 

Today 

wwww.brinsleyanimalrescue.org Summer Issue 2016 Page 2

Editors Note 

Hello and welcome to the first 

addition of the Brinsley Blag! 

16 

I really do hope that you enjoy this 

newsletter. In this addition we 

cover some of the massive topics 

that the rescue has to face. Every 

Spring we take in many baby birds 

that actually do not need our help! 

Many people think that they have 

been abandoned from the nest 

however they are actually killing 

the chick with kindness if they 

remove it from the parents view. I 

hope that “ Mommy dearest” will 

help those confused on whether a 

chick needs help or not. 

10 

The centre is also gearing itself up 

for the big summer open day in 

August. Last year was the biggest, 

busiest year with over 1,000 

visitors! This year we aim to 

entertain more guests to help 

raise the vital funds needed to 

keep the rescue running- keep a 

beady eye open, as to not miss out! 

Lauren McDowell 

11 Farm 

Small Pets 

12 

69 Hobsic Close 

Brinsley 

Nottingham 

NG16 5AX 

Email : info@brinsleyanimalrescue.org 

Tel: 01773 712 999 

Website: www.brinlseyanimalrescue.org/ 

Charity no: 1135508 


Centre News 

Operation Barn 

A massive thank you to, Nutbrook Aggregates, 

who kindly responded to our appeal for hardcore 

in order to help build the base for our barn. They 

kindly donated two, 20 tonne loads of stone for 

the base and if that wasn’t kind enough! 

Longcliffe and Trust Utility Management 

collected and delivered the large order of stone 

for us free of charge! 

A huge thank you to the companies, once again, 

for helping us bring our much needed barn a step 

closer to completion. 

https://www.sponsorme.co.uk/ 

matthewpatching/pennine-way-walk-june-2016- 

for-brinsley-animal-rescue.aspx 

This is Matt Patching and he has just conquered 

the Pennines 

In aid of Brinsley Animal rescue, Matt has just completed a 

268 mile solo walk from the Scottish Border to Edale, 

Derbyshire. Starting on the 6th June, Matt started his 

lengthy journey over the hills which took him a total of 14 

days and 5 and a half hours! That is a lot of walking! 

Raising £200, Matt still hopes to meet his target of £500. 

You can even sponsor Matt today by following the link 

under the photo. Thank you Matt and rest well! 

Strength In Numbers 

Mandy, with her three friends and her dog, have 

completed the Lyke Wake Walk. This is a 44 mile walk 

which includes a daunting 5,000 ft climb! 

Many thanks from all at the rescue for raising an 

amazing £1,360 ! 


Cheers For The Straw Lads! 

Thank you to Blue Monkey Brewery for donating their 

straw bales to us from their open day. The used beer 

stools will be used as bedding for our many animals 

here at the sanctuary. As you can imagine, we go 

through a lot of straw bales so every little helps! 

Summer Tea Party 

A massive thank you to Tracey & 

Paul who kindly hosted a tea party in 

their beautiful garden! The 

fundraiser featured an array of 

cakes, sandwiches, drinks and of 

course tea! Raising a fantastic 

£455.60 we and the animals at the 

shelter are very grateful for your 

efforts! 

Building A Way For A Better Future 

If you have visited us in the past month, you 

may have noticed the whole patio is being 

redone; this is because of the very wet winter 

we received last year. Due to the dampness, it 

has caused massive leaking in our animal 

hospital, not to mention the wear and tear 

that the rabbits, who call it home, have 

constructed over the past years. 

The Charity is not financing this major 

project though, the cost of the repairs is being 

footed by the charities founders, Jon and 

Beth. For those that attend our open days, 

you will be able to enjoy our cafe’s snacks on 

our new patio! 

For those that attend our open days, you 

will be able to enjoy our cafe’s snacks on 

our new patio! 


Rehoming News 

Jerry The Dartmoor Pony 

Rescued 5 years ago from slaughter, Jerry 

has finally found his forever home. He is a 

wonderful , kind little pony and will be dearly 

missed by the centre. We wish him luck at his 

new home, the Cambridge Equine Assisted 

Learning Centre, where he will help children. 

Buttons The Goat 

We are delighted to see Buttons go to 

his forever home! Buttons has been 

with us for nearly four years and was 

quite the timid little fellow! He now 

lives in a large paddock with another 

goat friend and two Kune-Kune pigs. 

Lot’s of bunnies...... 

Since January, over 40 lovely 

rabbits have found a 'furever' 

home! 

...and Guinea pigs find homes! 

To Terry, Henry, Doris, Dotty, 

Daisy, Smudge, Patch and Milo - 

congratulations on finding a new 

home! 


Another Barn Rescue! 

In February the last chicken, of the 

150 chickens rescued from Christmas, 

was rehomed and since then we have 

rescued another 150 in June. Lucky 

for these girls nearly half of them have 

found a home - which is much better 

than becoming cat chow! 

Wildlife 

The hospital never sleeps! Recently 

two very young hoglets ( baby 

hedgehogs), were brought into the 

centre. They need all round care 

which includes feeding them all the 

way through the night - dedication or 

what? 

Walter & Gerard The Pot-Belly Pigs and Stevie & Jack The goats 

Rescued in 2008, it is always nice to see pigs go to a new home as we very rarely 

get to see it. The pig crisis in Britain remains at large. but it’s nice that Walter and 

Gerard have found their new forever loving homes, alongside Stevie & Jack the 

pygmy goats! 


Billy, Herbert and Douglas’s story 

Most people feel sorry for Boris when they find 

out he is blind, yet if it wasn’t for his loss of 

sight he would of been eaten by now, in a 

burger or on someone’s Sunday dinner. 

Caused by his mother’s illness, BVD, when 

pregnant he was deemed too hard to rear for 

the farmer. This was proven as Boris did 

struggle to graze when he was younger, often 

bending on his front knees to eat what was 

right in front of him. He soon got the hang of 

eating and grew into a massive two tonne bull! 

But don’t be intimidated by his size. Boris is a 

gentle giant often following people for fuss, 

loving a good scratch or tickle under his chin. 

He spends most of his day happily munching 

through, two builder sacks of hay, whilst 

chilling out in the field. 

A Normal Lifespan Of A Cow Is 10 years! 


Billy, Herbert and Douglas’s story is a tale of luck. We 

had a phone call from the Cats Protection League 

who were doing some work on a nearby farm. They 

told us of a herd of veal calves destined for death, 

even though it is a normal for a farmer to shoot dairy 

calves. This is because in order to produce milk, a 

female cow needs to be pregnant and because 

cows are mammals, they naturally produce 

milk when they are pregnant. This means 

they must produce milk all year round, 

leading farmers to shoot previous stock. 

This means that Billy, Hebert 

and Douglas were classed as 

'overstock' in the industry and 

better off dead; than alive! 

“Billy, Herbert 

and Douglas’s 

story is a tale 

of luck.” 

We were very lucky to give a 

forever home to all three calves. 

Billy and Herbert, affectionately 

known as Herbie, live here at the 

centre. Douglas lives with a 

Jersey cow at Brooke Farm. 

Both Billy and Herbie live a life 

of riley, playing together in the 

field and often begging for fuss 

from the local dog walkers. Both 

of them have just recently been 

dehorned as they seem to forget 

that when they play, humans do 

not have horns to poke them 

back! 

You can help look after our lovely 

cows by sponsoring Boris today, pop 

over to our website or! Come along on 

our Open Day in August and say 

'Hello!'. 



Untameables 

In October 2015, we had an urgent call to rescue four 'green', Dartmoor ponies who were 

oing for the abattoir. Used as an organic mower on a honey farm, these girls were in good 

condition but had very little experience with humans. With a lot of time and patience “ 

Team Equine” at Brinsley are finally starting to make contact. 

Brinsley Animal Rescue was 

visited by Hannah Dawson of 

Connection Training to help teach 

the staff, the art of positive 

training. 

Many people think that to get a horse to do what it is 

told you use force. Whips, headcollars and bits are 

often used to move a stubborn steed. However, 

positive training is a technique that works with the 

horse. Since the Dartmoors have had no human 

contact, it posed a harder challenge for us. Through a 

lot of time of talking and being around them they 

started to accept the fact that we humans do not pose 

a threat to them. The next step is to see whether they 

want to play a game called “ touch the target”. 

Above is Celeste the pony, described to be “ 

as mean as a hornet” and is working with 

Beth. The blue object is known as a 'target', 

the horse places their nose on the blue 

object and in return they get a treat. 

Evidently the target is pulled away and so 

they follow it - much better then a 

restricting headcollar! 


Handling a wild pony can sometimes be difficult, especially 

when it comes to their health. If a pony is left too long without 

care, then the hoofs become too long for them to walk on. Their 

teeth may develop sharp spurs stopping them from chewing - 

not to mention they get very muddy! Working with an equine to 

form trust, helps us to perform these essential health checks 

without having to sedate and cause more stress to the animal. 

Dixie Picking Her Hoofs 

Leading A Pony With No Headcollar 

This is a game that requires the pony to touch the 

target, the blue pin, in order to get a click and then 

awarded a treat. They start to understand that the 

click means they have done something good! Once they 

associate the target with a treat, the target is then 

moved so that the pony has to walk to touch the blue 

and get a treat - this is how we teach them to walk on 

and follow us. 

Touching A Untamed Pony 

This is the game that requires the pony to touch the 

target, the blue pin, in order to get a click and then 

rewarded a treat. The ponies then start to understand 

that the click means they have done something good 

and associate the target with a treat. Once this is 

established, the target is then moved so that the pony 

has to walk with us thus encouraging a more positive 

reaction towards human contact. 

Picking Up The Hoofs 

Hoof care is extremely important as they need to be 

level to walk, hard to run on and free of debris meaning 

we have to work extra hard to get a 'green' pony to 

trust us. Once they have gotten used to us touching 

them, we then ask for the lifting of their hoof. Once the 

hoof is off the floor we give a click, moving further on as 

to try and keep the hoof off the ground for an extended 

amount of time, which in turn recreates what the 

farrier will do when they need their hooves treated. 


Mommy 

Dearest! 

From the start of February to the end of August, 

it's known as the ' Silly Season', at Brinsley Animal 

Rescue! 


I Think I’ve Found A bird That Needs Help! 

THEN THE BIRD IS IN DANGER AND MUST BE BROUGHT INTO A RESCUE 

Please note that we cannot come out to pick up the bird. We unfortunately do not have the staff or 

time. If you cannot get the animal to us then please try Animal Accident Rescue, or an animal 

courier. Other places that may help are: 

Mansfield Wildlife Rescue Raptor Rescue 

Animal Magic 

Tel: 077583 17028 

Email: mansfieldwildlife23@gmail.com 

Address: 23 Brown Avenue 

Mansfield 

Nottingham 

NG19 8HH 

Animal Accident Rescue 

Tel: 0115 9321 555 

Website: www.aaru.org 

(Birds of prey or a bird that hunts and feeds 

on other animals such as owls, kestrels and 

sparrowhawks) 

National Tel: 0870 2410609 

For More Rescues In your Area Please Visit: 

www.helpwildlife.co.uk 

Tel: 0115 305587 or 07773 680 264 

Please ring for address 

located in Ilkeston Derby 


Buddies For Bunnies 

Rabbit Awareness Week 2016 was mainly focused around the message that rabbits are 

social. An appalling 57% of the UK’s pet rabbits lives alone! This is mainly due to 

their owners ignorance of a rabbit's needs. Buddies For Bunnies was RAW’s pledge to 

1) Company 

Many studies have shown that rabbits actually prefer a friend then food when presented with a 

choice. In the wild rabbits live in groups called colonies. In each colony there is up to 20 

individuals! Our domestic rabbits are just the same and are social by nature - they need a rabbit 

friend! No matter how much you try, you cannot be with your rabbit 24/7. 

Did you know that rabbits can actually suffer from depression? 

Many people think that a guinea pig is a suitable companion for a 

rabbit. This is completely wrong! You are putting both animals at risk. 

A kick from a rabbit to a guinea pig can lead to a very serious injury or 

death. Their dietary needs are different than a as Guinea pigs need the 

extra vitamin C whereas rabbits don’t. Rabbits are European and Guinea 

pigs originate from Peru, they do not live together in the wild. Their body 

language is completely different and one will potentially boss the other around. 

Please give a rabbit a rabbit friend. 


2) Grooming 

Grooming is a natural behaviour carried out between the 

pair and is known as mutual grooming. It helps to 

prevent many unwanted problems such as sticky bum 

syndrome (when the faeces stick to the fur around the 

bottom), running eyes and noses as well as the build-up 

of matts, that a person may never be able to get. 

3) Warmth 

When days are cold and wet, 

bunnies will snuggle up to 

each other to share their body 

heat. 

It has been proven that rabbits in pairs live healthier and longer 

than those kept alone. They will be able to groom each other, 

warm each other up and rely on each other in times of stress; 

such as a trip to the vets. 

4) Health 

Keeping a rabbit alone is border line cruelty and as part of the 

Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is your duty as an owner to allow 

your pet to display it’s natural behaviour. 

Before you put two unknown rabbits together 

you must be prepared! 

If you are looking for a second rabbit, then there are many 

rabbits looking for a home here at the shelter. All of them 

are up to date with their vaccinations and are neutered. We 

can help advise you when putting your rabbits together 

and will talk you though or show you the whole process to 

reduce the chances of a fight. 

Visit our website today to view the available rabbits at our centre. 

If you would like to see rabbits that are available in your local shelter then 

please visit 

wwww.rabbitrehome.org 


Enjoy free music, outdoor entertainment and adult / children activities 

in the hopes to promote a greener, ethical way of living from food 

stalls, natural therapies and kid rides. Nottingham Green Festival grows 

every year and is run by the efforts of the Grass Roots Volunteers. 

Events 

Brinsley Animal Rescue Open Day 

Sunday 14th August - 11:00am-4pm 

69 Hobsic Close, Brinsley, Nottingham NG16 5AX 

Join us to raise vital funds for the rescue! On our summer open day you’ll 

get the chance to meet all the animals, try our famous vegan cakes as well 

as vegetarian food, stalls, activities and many informative talks. It's a fun day 

out for the family, including your four legged friend -providing he/ she is 

kept on the lead. £1 admission whilst children can go free! 

Brinsley Headstocks Festival 

Sunday 4th September 11:00am - 5:00pm 

Mansfield Road, Brinsley, Nottingham.NG16 5AE 

A free to enter event, with lot’s of fun activities to celebrate the mining 

and natural heritage of the site. Growing every year the festival holds 

many craft, beer , food and charity stalls as well as mining 

memorabilia! 

Nottingham Green Festival 

Sunday 11th September - 12pm-6pm 

Nottingham Arboretum, Waverley Street NG7 4HF 


Available on our website or open days, more choices online ( price includes postage and packaging) 


Volunteering 

Price Water House Coopers is a 

professional services company. 15 

volunteers swapped their desk duties for 

the day to help clear out the fields. This is 

a massive task and helps us to grow the 

hay we need to feed the animals. 

Price Water house Coopers Volunteer Day 

Not only equipped with a shovel, but also a paint brush. The volunteers worked their way 

through painting the field shelters and chicken houses, bringing them back to life! 

Many thanks for your hard work guys!!!!! 

June was certainly a busy month for us in the 

fundraising side! Attending events such as the 

Greasley Gathering, Nottingham Lush, Sneinton 

Market and Greasily Farm Fest helps to bring in 

the vital funds to keep the rescue going! A 

massive thank you to Amanda, who puts a lot of 

time into organizing, attending and putting all of 

the merchandise together. 

Lovely Tails Fundraising June 

Altogether the events raised over £700, which all goes towards the animals, 

making sure they have a comfortable life at the sanctuary. 


Do you have some spare time? Love being with animals? Good with a 

hammer? The sporty type? Or the ‘road-happy’ traveller? 


Come On me’ lovelies 

and visit Sneinton Market! 

Sneinton Market has been the scene for groceries , flowers and meat 

since the mid 19th Century. Now the market goes ahead in a brand new 

term. Introducing veganism to its many stalls. 

Every 1st Saturday of the Month, is the Vegan Food 

Market. It is a community based event that sports the 

talents of many foods, drinks, clothes, cosmetics and 

lifestyle choices, all in the aim to help bring the vegan 

lifestyle to the mainstream community. 

“We are looking for VEGAN food traders 

and all kinds of cruelty free cosmetics, 

clothing, awareness raising, workshops. 

Product list must be approved by the market 

team to ensure the brief is met. This was a 

really well attended event last time so we 

need to increase the offer and make 

something awesome happen” 

The Lovely Tails Stall likes to 

make an appearance as much as 

possible to raise funds for the 

rescue. 


The market is on from 11:00am - 3pm and is based at the outdoor stalls 

in Sneinton, St Anns. It is suitable for all the family with many delicious 

foods to try, gifts to buy and services to learn about. 

For more information, you can follow the market on Facebook & Twitter 

under “Sneinton Market” 


Animals For Adoption 

V 

Holly the Pig 

I was rescued near Christmas time as a day 

old piglet, chucked out onto the road and 

left to fend for myself! I’m now 5 months old 

and looking for a home with a friend who 

doesn’t mind my feistiness and rather large 

size. Are you the one I’m looking for? 

Minty The Welsh Pony 

I’ve been at the centre since I was a few months 

old and I’m now 2 years old! My owner was 

prosecuted for neglect and I was lucky enough 

to come here, since then I’ve gone through a 

complicated castration, rehabilitation training 

and I’m now finally suitable to find a forever 

loving new home! Standing at 9hh, I can be lead 

& shod whilst carrying a friendly, laid back 

disposition who would make a great companion. 

pony. 

4 Rhode Island X Plymouth rock Hens 

We are a group of lovely old hens. Roughly 8 

years old and not huge ‘egg-layers’, however we 

are very beautiful and would love to join a flock 

to retire to. 

Willow and Holly 

Hi there my name is willow and I am 3 year 

old otter buck and I’m Holly a two year old 

otter mini rex doe. We were sadly given up 

by our owners as we were strays. We are 

both curious and chilled rabbits that are up 

to date with our vaccinations and are both 

neutered. 


Rusty and Danny 

My name is Danny, the silver goat and 

my buddy is Rusty. We’ve been here 

far too long and would love a home 

together! Medium in size, 5 years old 

and castrated, we pride ourselves as 

being extremely friendly and will do 

anything for hobnobs! 

Wallie The Giant 

Hi my name is Wallie! I am a 9 

month continental giant. I am up to 

date with my vaccinations and am 

neutered. People judge me because I 

have red eyes but please don’t be put 

off by that! I am a lovely fellow, mi 

not keen on being handled but I do 

love to play! 

Sammy The Dartmoor Pony 

I have been at the centre for 

quite sometime! I am a 6 year 

old, 11.2 hh gelding who is full of 

character, that can be easy lead 

and shod with ease. Currently I 

am ready for backing and 

needing a home who can 

continue my education whilst I’m 

still young! 

3 Saxony ducks 

The two grey are male and the 

cream is female. We are looking 

for a home together. The female 

can lay eggs and all ducks are 

around three years old. Very 

cheeky bunch! 


Brinsley Animal Rescue 

Cotton Shopping Bag 

£2.99 

Brinsley Animal Reuse 

Wristband 

£1 

Brinsley Animal Rescue Pencil 

£1.25 

Fox Design Foldable Shopping 

Bag 

By 

Sass & Belle 

£3.85 

Woodland Ceramic Egg Cup 

£3 

Marlene Bird Cushion 

by 

Sass & Belle 

£10 

Woodland Ceramic Money box 

£ 3 

Owl Lunch Box 

By 

Sass & Belle 

£2.50 

Stag Design Manicure set 

By 

Fauna 

£4 


Don’t Miss Out! 

Look at for our winter issue coming out in 

November ! 


Brinsley Animal Rescue 

Standing Order Donation form 

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