50 years ago on 8th February 1967 the Society for Abandoned Animals was officially registered by the charities commission. For many years it was known as Peggy Henderson’s Animal Sanctuary in recognition of the tireless work of Peggy Henderson, without whom we wouldn’t exist. It was initially set up in the 60’s when large areas of Hulme and Moss Side had been designated for development. All the residents had been moved into temporary accommodation but Manchester Council refused to let people take their cats and dogs with them. It took months but Peggy and her two cohorts, Pat and Eric Milne, gained the trust of the animals and started their attempts to rehome them. Funding for this venture was tight and they decided it was about time they put themselves on a more legal footing, hence the birth of The Society For Abandoned Animals in January 1966, a year later becoming an official charity. The charity started out at a farm in Buxton, then a house in Manchester and moved to its current premises on Christmas Eve 1994. In it’s time the sanctuary has rescued many animals, including a Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig, but it currently cares for cats and rabbits with the hope that we will have dogs back with us in the near future.
We recently held a celebration at The Bridge Inn, on Dane Road in Sale, with Stretford and Urmston MP Kate Green cutting the cake (and very nice cake it was too, thank you Liz Cuff). A good time was had by all and it gave us an opportunity to thank volunteers and supporters, without whom we would not exist.