A disabled bullock whose story touched hearts worldwide is at risk of being made homeless and separated from his loving family.
The animal called Duke Bullock was born a dwarf and left unable to walk due to an injury.
Due to his smaller size and short limbs, Duke was unwanted on the commercial farm where he was born and after he was even attacked by a group of cows.
After his owners decided to find him another home he was taken in by Sharon Lawlor at the CALF animal sanctuary, in North Yorks.
Ms Lawlor has since spent £10,000 nursing Duke back to health.
Although he will always be disabled, he now has a specially made shelter with a built-in lifting hoist to help him stand and walk around his field.
But his fairytale ending could come to an abrupt end as Ms Lawlor has been told that the lease on the house and land where she and the animals live will not be renewed in July.
Ms Lawlor, said: “The search isn’t really happening at the moment. The fundraising is going quite slowly.
“Knowing how desperate the situation is, I’m way off target to even put a deposit down anywhere.”
“It sounds sounds stupid but if I lose Duke there would be no point.
“I’d even rent somewhere and I could find places to put the other animals if necessary. But we can’t leave Duke alone for more than four hours.
“I’d never find anyone to look after him.
“If I don’t make this happen then things aren’t looking food for poor little Duke.”
The family now have just a few months to find a new home not just for Duke but five more cows, 30 sheep, 12 chickens, five pigs, four goats and three turkeys.
Ms Lawlor said: “We’ve had a real rollercoaster year, but the letter about our lease not being renewed was a bolt from the blue just before Christmas.
“We’ve searched high and low for a suitable, alternative smallholding, but with no joy.
“Ideally, for long-term security we need to buy our own permanent sanctuary, that CALF can call home.
“We’d like a home we can open up to the public to come and visit and get involved in, have accommodation where people can stay, and the potential to open a café and shop so that the sanctuary can be self-sufficient.
“That’s the dream – which we now have just a few short months to realise.”
Ms Lawlor said she and her family are putting all their savings into finding a solution, and are raising additional funds by selling their assets, but it is unlikely to be enough.
“We need help, so we’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign,” she said. “It seems like we’ve a big mountain to climb very quickly but I do know there are many people who value the lives of animals and the work we do, and we really do need their help now.
“We’re in a very serious position right now, with very little time. Failure to find a new home would bring unthinkable consequences for the animals in our care, especially for Duke with his specials needs. It would absolutely break my heart to lose Duke.”
To support the online crowdfunding campaign, visit chuffed.org/project/dukes-place-called-home.
