Animal ambulance back on Enfield's roads (From Enfield Independent)

The Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service receives animal ambulance from Enfield Borough Council's Resident Priority Fund

3:19pm Wednesday 9th January 2013 in News By Hermione Wright

An animal hospital supported by the Enfield Independent has received a new ambulance to rescue animals in need.

The Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service in Trent Country Park had to dispose of its ambulance a year ago after it did not meet Transport for London’s strict fuel emission standards.

But it has now received £8,000 from Enfield Borough Council’s Residents Priority Fund to replace the ambulance and continue its work in rescuing animals in need.

Councillor Bambos Charalambous, Cabinet Member for Localism, said: “The Trent Park animal hospital has rescued untold numbers of wild animals in Trent Park and even further afield over the years.

“Enfield Council is delighted to be able to help grant this Residents Priority Fund money to buy the ambulance, to assist them in their good work to rescue and save even more animals."

The ambulance will be used to rescue animals in need, but due to limited resources Barry and June Smitherman, who run the centre, continue to rely on people to take in animals who are not at risk.

The Enfield Independent launched a campaign to find £5,000 save the wildlife animal hospital – which is the last in London – in November after it ran into financial difficulty when visitor numbers dropped over the wet spring and summer.

The charity cares for more than 200 wild and tame creatures on site, including pheasants, deer, foxes, seagulls, goats, birds of prey, turkeys, rabbits and guinea pigs.