A NEW animal rescue centre near Malmesbury is appealing for funds to help take care of a collection of chicken, ducks, rheas, pigs, rabbits and goats.

Eden Animal Rescue has only been operating four months, a project which began when Rodgen Stewart and his partner Jessica Strachan decided to adopt some rescued chickens and keep them in the garden of their Tetbury home.

Soon after they welcomed some ducks and rheas, but when four pigs needed rehoming, the couple decided they needed a bigger site.

Now they rent a two-acre field in Foxley Road and have invested £3700 to set up the centre with enclosures, sheds, hutches and shelters for the animals.

“We have a three-month old baby son called Eden, and we named it after him,” Mr Stewart said. “We have always had an interest in animals and their welfare, and it all started because during Jessica’s pregnancy she had a craving for eggs.”

Now the couple dedicate all their spare time to the animals.

“This is our passion, we rescue them and are very dedicated to caring for these animals and giving them a permanent home and a chance to live a long, happy life,” he said.

They say Eden Animal Rescue has attracted lots of support and interest from local people but last week the project hit a stumbling block when a letter from Wiltshire Council arrived saying they needed planning permission for the sheds and had 28 days to either pay a fee and submit the planning application, or take the sheds down, or face action from the planning enforcement team.

Mr Stewart, who runs his own cleaning business, said they were busy preparing the application - and had already had a generous donation from Malmesbury St Paul Without parish councillor Alan Hopkins, who had paid half the cost.

In the meantime, despite having a business to run and a small baby to care for, the couple are devoting all their spare time to tending the animals - getting up early to feed them, making sure they have clean, comfortable homes and ensuring they have any necessary medical care.

“Anything you can spare, however small, will make a difference,” Mr Stewart said. “All money raised will always go towards feeding, vet bills and making a safe, permanent home for the animals in our care, while enabling us to rescue more.”

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.gofundme.com/eden-animal-rescue.