“I would rather lose my house than give up my animals”

Noah has nothing on Michelle Laycock when it comes to rescuing animals.

Michelle has given up her health, her personal life and is even prepared to become homeless in order to look after the abandoned animals that have become her surrogate children.

With a monthly vet bill often stretching into four figures, the Glasgow woman regularly foregoes her mortgage or electricity payments in order to care for the scores of animals.

And the stress of looking after the abandoned pets nearly killed her. She was rushed to intensive care suffering from acute exhaustion and seizures.

But the social worker never intended to become a rescuer.

It happened, she says, by complete accident and it’s all because she can’t say no to a needy animal even if it means making a 300-mile round trip to transport two pigs in a clapped-out Fiesta.

“I’d heard about two kunekune pet pigs that were going to be slaughtered,” the 47-year-old explained. “My horsebox was broken, so I had to put them in the back of my car.

“They completely wrecked it, tearing the upholstery and doing the toilet all over it. I had to get rid of it and my mum didn’t talk to me for a fortnight. She said I wasn’t right in the head.

“Maybe I’m not normal but people don’t understand how passionate I am.”

Michelle has always been an animal lover and owned pets as a child, sometimes without her parents’ permission.

“When I was 15 I saw a poor little rabbit in a pet shop, so I bought it. My mum went mad because I didn’t even have a hutch!

“Eight years ago someone told me a pony was abandoned in a field, and would I be interested in him? Smudgie is now 40 and still going strong.”

Soon after she was told about a horse nobody was looking after, so she took it on and started paying for its vet treatment. Before she knew it she had four horses and was working three jobs a day to pay for their upkeep.

When she discovered a number of animals abandoned on land she was renting, she nursed many of them back to health. With even more animals to care for, Michelle opened her sanctuary to the public to make some much-needed cash.

Two years ago, Michelle was offered free land by Dobbies Sandyholm garden centre in the Clyde Valley, which had been looking to establish a petting zoo. Michelle now has a group of young volunteers helping.

She also tries to rehome the animals those two pigs from Aberdeen now live with a dentist, five minutes from the sanctuary.

Michelle recently acquired charitable status for Animal Heaven, but times remain tough.

“We have 43 rabbits being vaccinated at a cost of £1000, and we also have a sick goose and rabbit requiring treatment.

“Some months I don’t pay my electricity, other times it’s my TV licence. I didn’t pay my mortgage for two months over Christmas and I expect I’ll lose my house at some point.

“If I don’t have a car I take the bus or thumb a lift. I’ve even walked from Glasgow to the Clyde Valley. But this is the life I’ve chosen so I can’t complain.”

But it has affected her health.

“Three years ago I had a viral infection and didn’t go to the doctor, so I started having seizures. I ended up with inflamation of the brain and spent time in intensive care. I nearly died.”

That scare didn’t make her slow down, though. “I work at the sanctuary until 8.30pm and never have a day off.Then I go to Kirkintilloch to feed another two pet pigs I rescued.”

But the day doesn’t end there for Michelle. Her social work role sees her take in troubled 18-25 year-olds, such as drug addicts, in a supported care at home scheme.

She hopes to expand the centre in the future by setting up an animal hospital on-site. Beyond that, she simply wants to help as many animals as she can.

“If I end up living in a caravan, so be it, at least I will have my peace of mind.”

Michelle is always on the lookout for wood, mesh and felt to make shelters, as well as feed for the animals.

She can be contacted on mlaycock8@gmail.com