A 90-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO HAS DEDICATED MORE THAN HALF OF HER LIFE TO ANIMAL RESCUE HAS NO INTENTION OF EVER STOPPING
Animal conservation is a longtime passion of Barby Keel's. The 90-year-old British woman has dedicated more than half of her life to saving and defending animals of all types. She has rescued more than 10,000 animals, both large and small, from abuse and abandonment thus far. The nonagenarian has no immediate intentions to retire, despite her elderly age.
In 1971, Keel's tale of caring for animals started when a soldier asked her to watch his dog while he was stationed in Northern Ireland. Her passion for animals and their care was sparked by this small deed. There were just three animals in her care when she founded the Barby Keel Animal Sanctuary near Bexhill, East Sussex, in 1979. More than 600 furry pals, including dogs, cats, pigs, goats, horses, rabbits, and chickens, now call the sanctuary home.
Given the large number of animals in the sanctuary and her current age, Kell relies on a crew of volunteers to take care of all of the animals. “I know I’m getting older, so I know my limitations,” she told SWNS. “I don’t deal with the big animals anymore, but I still get up every morning to feed all the cats and see them all. It’s a good life.”
Most of the animals live permanently on the 12-acre sanctuary, while some of the smaller ones have been placed in new homes by the crew. All of the animals are spayed or neutered, and Keel and her staff take pride in their no-kill policy. She uses her pension to cover a lot of costs, but after spending time with the animals, visitors can visit the sanctuary's café and gift shop. "It is a little exhausting, but if it generates revenue for the animals, then that's the main goal," Keel told the BBC.
Even though she frequently shops for food for the animals and finds time to play darts with the local team, the woman, who has fought cancer three times, never takes a day off. “Some days I am shattered—it’s hard work,” Keel says. “But then I get a little nose ‘boop’ or a face peers up at me, and I remember why I’m doing this. My animals come first and always will.”