Planning Appeal : Press Release 9th September 2025

Waggy Tails Rescue, is a small animal rescue charity. We have been serving the animals  and people,  in the community of Dorset and Hampshire for 30 years. 5,000 dogs and other animals have now been rescued and placed in good homes.  

14 years ago the charity purchased a house with a field in Wimborne and with various improvements, made enough space to accommodate 20 dogs needing care. Sadly, we outgrew this facility some time ago due to the increased demand for rescue spaces, which started before the pandemic but increased dramatically thereafter. The house does not stand alone any more either, but has homes built and being built all around, with the resulting increase and noise in traffic, and the terrifying sounds of fireworks almost on top of us.

Seven years ago the trustees started to look for a larger facility and at the end of  2022 were able to purchase a small farm near Ringwood. This consisted of a cottage, various outbuildings and 17 acres of fields and woodland.    

Those who have visited know what an exceptionally suitable piece of land Little Lions Farm would be for all animals – 17 acres – plenty for horses, donkeys, goats, pigs, birds, hedgehogs, small animals and dogs. The area for wildlife is large – a wood, and a big wildlife pond, which has been carefully maintained in the 3 years since  the property was purchased, having taken advice from conservation experts.

Sadly however, despite jumping through the many hoops and overcoming all the issues that Dorset Council laid down in front of the charity, the planning application for change of use to an animal sanctuary was refused by the Council in October 2024. This was on the grounds of incursion on to the green belt, despite the fact that the planning officer at the pre app stage advised this would not be a problem. There was also an objection from Natural England.

NE’s objection is that we might walk our dogs on the small heath, which is the other side of the trailway to the farm. Now you would think that with 17 acres, why would there be a need to walk the charity’s dogs somewhere else – and you would be right. Last year Waggy Tails produced a 10 page Management Plan dealing with this and other issues for Dorset Council’s consideration and for Natural England. Eventually, Natural England, who do not own the heath,  accepted that the dogs would probably not be walked on the heath, at the moment, but at some time, at some stage in the future, many years down the line, they might be. The concern that even one dog might be allowed to set one paw on the heath was enough to refuse Waggy Tails permission.

The trustees therefore felt they had no choice but to go for Appeal as it had taken 4 years of searching to find a suitable property and did not feel we would ever find something so perfect for animals. 

Sadly in August the Appeals Inspector dismissed the application on the grounds of Natural England’s objection. The Inspector discounted the green belt objection and was not concerned about any of the other issues the plans had received over the 3 years we have been waiting for approval, ie noise and traffic issues and he was happy with the proposed buildings.

Little Lions has always been a farm after all – and all the land is agricultural – the building we wanted to extend would only have taken a small area which at the moment is a gravel yard, and not grass, nor pretty!     The Inspector acknowledged how much a facility of this size was urgently needed in Dorset, especially for the many unwanted and stray dogs needing care and rescue.

So the objection by Natural England held sway over Dorset Council and is now the reason that  the Appeal has been dismissed.

Bearing in mind the curious fictitiousness of this objection, consideration should also be given to the fact that every day members of the public walk their dogs on the heath. And despite a request to “keep dogs on the lead”, they are allowed to run free.

This refusal means denial of safe sanctuary, and possible death, for the many animals who could have had  a comfortable future with Waggy Tails Rescue.

The Trustees

Waggy Tails Rescue

9/9/25