The owner of an animal sanctuary facing closure following a planning battle is hoping to take her appeal to parliament.

Amey James who runs Happy Pants Ranch, off Iwade Road in Bobbing, had applied to retrospectively change the use of the land from farming to a charity base, but Swale councillors refused permission.

Since then, she has been pushing an online petition to appeal the decision.

She said: “It was actually launched by one of our supporters. It’s just to try and get as many signatures as possible to appeal the planning decision.

“It would be great if it reached 100,000 signatures and we could get it talked about at Parliament.”

The sanctuary houses around 450 livestock. But concerns over the noise of the animals, including 120 cockerels, has disturbed nearby residents who issued several complaints.

Amey continued: “All of the creatures here are animals that at some point, somebody didn’t want.

“Some of them are reptiles, we’ve got emus, cows, dogs, ducks, chickens, we’ve got a lot of a lot of things.

“We’ve got epileptic pigs, we’ve got three legged cats, we’ve got blind dogs, so it’s very worrying that if we can’t stay, and we can’t keep them here, then where are all these animals going to go?”

“There’s no way I’m having anything to do with destroying the animals.”

“They’d have to take me to court. I don’t really know what else to say to them. We’ve been trying to work with the council.

“But everything we’ve done, there’s just nothing that seems to be good enough.

“I just don’t know how cows and cockerels can be a noise nuisance on agricultural land, it’s something else to battle.”

Amey and Phil have been at the site for just over a year.

Since then the couple have spoken openly about the complaints they’ve received from neighbours.

Amey said: “There’s been all sorts of bogus phone calls and complaints made to the RSPCA, APH, Kent Police, all sorts of things.

“And to do with the planning, all we were asking for was a change of use from agricultural land to an animal rescue, we were asking for that change of use.”

If the appeal is rejected the ranch would have to move somewhere else, something Amey says she can’t afford to do.

However, Amey has explained that after around £60,000 at their current premise trying to make it usable for the animals the charity does not have the funds to just move.

She finished: “If we had to move, I just really don’t know what would happen. I think we’d just go under, because I just can’t see an option unless I win the lottery, literally.”

The petition has 2,900 signatures. To sign click here.