Shropshire girl's online rescue bid for neglected pets

A 13-year-old schoolgirl has rescued more than 45 animals over the past two years by trawling social media for neglected pets that needed rehoming.

Lilly-Grace Honeysett-Beale said she could not bear to see them in need and was grateful for help from family, friends and her Shropshire community.

"When I see one that needs help, I'm going to go get it," she said.

Most of the animals - rabbits, cats, dogs and mice - live at her home.

The teenager said she scoured Facebook Marketplace for unwanted or neglected pets and then appealed to people she knew to help rescue them.

She added she had recently seen an advert for a German Shepherd in Birmingham for £100, which she said "really pulled at my heartstrings".

The dog, she explained, was tied up in chains and had maggots in some wounds and damaged limbs.

Although she managed to get him, she said he had had to be put down due to being so frail from neglect.

"I just wouldn't want to leave a dog like that - it's just not fair on them," she said.

"I felt sick to my stomach. I was very heartbroken. We put in a lot of effort to go get Jack."

Some rescues, though, are more successful. "The animals are scattered around the house, wherever we find a space for them," she said.

She said she had had to give up some animals, but she tried to keep as many as possible.

Her mum Becky said it was a big commitment but she was proud of her daughter.

"I can't complaint at all because she's amazing, self-sufficient.

"She's always the one out there. She's feeding them twice a day or cleaning them out. She does everything that's needed."

The family also looks after chickens, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, a tortoise and fish.

The teenager, who runs her own business selling home-grown animal treats to help pay towards the rescues, said she would like to have her own rescue centre in the future.

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