ROOTED IN LIVERPOOL. LED BY COMPASSION.

Every second chance starts with kindness.

A safe place. Patient care. A future worth waiting for. Discover the people, purpose and everyday care behind Carla Lane Animals in Need.

See what we do

A person washing animal feeding bowls at the shelter

A lifetime of second chances

From an abandoned turkey farm to a place of safety, care and hope for animals across the UK.

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. Every year, we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome hundreds of dogs and cats.

Originally known simply as “Animals in Need”, we later received the support and patronage of the late Carla Lane, whose passion for animal welfare helped shape our identity. We are also members of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH), and our facilities and procedures meet their recognised welfare standards.

Alongside rescue work, we promote responsible pet ownership. All of our animals are vaccinated, microchipped and neutered, and we operate a strict no-destruction policy, meaning animals stay with us for as long as it takes to find the right home. There is no time limit.

Many of our dogs are from pounds, where they have served 7 days as unclaimed strays, and are now due to be destroyed. Our farmyard also takes in ex-battery hens who would otherwise be killed.

Black cat resting inside a grey climbing tower

We love bull breeds and are firmly anti-BSL. We encourage people to look beyond stereotypes and consider giving a rescue bull breed a chance. Fran works closely with the courts to help save dogs at risk due to their appearance, while Margaret has dedicated years to rescuing and caring for stray and feral cats, many of whom now live safely on her rural property.

Animal rescue is never straightforward; it comes with challenges, setbacks and moments that stay with you. But it also brings countless second chances, and that’s what keeps us going.

If you’d like to keep updated with what we’re doing, you can visit our website, follow our social media and 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.

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