About Animals in Distress
For more than 50 years Animals in Distress has been rescuing, caring for and protecting animals that arrive sick, injured, abandoned or neglected.
Through rescue, veterinary care and rehabilitation, many of these animals are given a second chance to live safe and happy lives.
Registered Charity No. 515886
Our Story
Animals in Distress was founded in 1967 by Mrs Sylvia Durham MBE with the aim of alleviating the suffering of sick and injured animals.
What began as a small rescue effort has grown into a dedicated charity providing emergency rescue, veterinary treatment and sanctuary care for animals in need.
Today Animals in Distress responds to cases involving abandoned animals, cruelty, road traffic accidents and injured wildlife across Greater Manchester.
Based in Irlam and Littleborough, our team works tirelessly to provide care, rehabilitation and second chances for animals when they need it most.
Every animal we rescue is given a second chance – but we can’t do it without your support.
Why Animals Need Help
Animals in Distress often responds to situations where animals have been abandoned, neglected or injured. Many cases arise because animals are left without proper care, veterinary treatment or a safe home.
The charity works to rescue these animals, provide medical care and ensure they are given the chance to recover and live safely.
Abandoned Animals
Animals are sometimes dumped in dustbins, rivers or canals, tied outside shops or left behind when families move house. Many arrive frightened, hungry and in need of urgent care.
Cruelty & Neglect
Some animals arrive suffering from starvation, injury or lack of veterinary care. Without early treatment many illnesses go unnoticed and cause unnecessary suffering.
Unwanted Pets
Animals are often given up because owners can no longer care for them, cannot afford veterinary costs or simply lose interest as pets grow older.
Injured Strays
Animals injured in road traffic accidents or found wandering without owners are brought to the sanctuary where they receive treatment and rehabilitation.
Our Sanctuaries
Animals in Distress operates two sanctuaries where rescued animals receive treatment, rehabilitation and care.
These facilities allow the charity to support a wide range of domestic animals, wildlife and farm animals.
Irlam Sanctuary
24-hour emergency service, 365 days a year.
We have been running since the 1980s. The majority of cases stem from animal road accidents, and owners are rarely found. Most animals and wildlife are treated and kept to convalesce before being neutered, microchipped, and rehomed or released.
This can be expensive, as a broken leg can cost well over £300, and one X-ray over £80. The telephone is in use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The police, social services, dog wardens, members of the public, and other animal societies all call us out.
Because many animals are passed on by other organisations, we feel we are the end of the line and are reluctant to refuse any emergency call. From experience, we know that if we refuse people, they may abandon the animals, leading to a bigger problem.
Due to this, we are regularly taken advantage of, often through emotional pressure. However, our concern is for the animals, and if we can help, we will.
The facility supports the charity’s rescue work by providing a safe place for animals to recover while they receive veterinary treatment and care.
0161 775 2221
55 Silver Street, Irlam, Salford, Greater Manchester
Littleborough Sanctuary – Field of Dreams
The Littleborough site acts as an overflow for Irlam, especially during the summer, taking in cats and dogs. It also takes in older, abandoned, and injured horses, wildlife, all types of birds, ex-pet goats, sheep, pigs, reptiles, and other unusual or larger animals that cannot easily find a place elsewhere.
These animals require feeding, bedding, heating, fuel, and ongoing care. Unfortunately, smaller charities are struggling to survive, and we are one of them.
Please help us continue our work. Visit our website or come and see the sanctuaries. In the meantime, we need your support. We cannot survive without public funding.
If everyone set up a standing order of just £3 per month, it would help enormously. We are struggling and truly need your help to continue our work.
01706 371 731
Swaindrod Lane, Littleborough, Lancashire
Organisations We’ve Worked With
