Our Story

We are Carla Lane Animals in Need, a Liverpool-based rescue established over 30 years ago by trustees Fran Ellis and Margaret Brady. After a rocky start, they managed to acquire enough funding to purchase our current grounds, which were once an abandoned turkey farm! Since then, the rescue has gone from strength to strength, gaining more supporters and a core of dedicated staff, and every year we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome hundreds of dogs and cats.

Originally just ‘Animals in Need’, we then received patronage from the late Carla Lane. We are also a member of the ADCH, with facilities and procedures which meet their welfare standards.

We promote responsible pet ownership, alongside vaccinating, microchipping and neutering all of our animals. We have a no destruction policy, meaning that animals stay with us for however long it takes to match them with a suitable home, there is no time limit. Many of our dogs are from pounds, where they have served 7 days as an unclaimed stray, and are now due to be destroyed. Our farmyard also takes in ex-battery hens who would otherwise be killed.

We love bull breeds, and are firmly anti-BSL. We encourage dog lovers to give a rescue bullie a chance! Fran works with the courts to help save innocent pets, sentenced to death because they look too much like a ‘pitbull type’. Meanwhile Margaret has championed the rescue’s cat outwork, bringing many unwanted strays and injured ferals back to her own property so they can enjoy the rest of their lives in a safe rural haven. She also looks after the rescue’s two ponies, Merlin and Merrylegs!

Animal rescue work is filled with ups and downs, and memorable stories. If you’d like to keep updated with what we’re doing, you can follow our Facebook page, or subscribe to our quarterly newsletter – we offer mailing lists to get a physical copy of this through the post, or a digital version emailed to your chosen address.