The development of an exotic animal sanctuary in the heart North Galway is set to go to planning within the next few weeks.

Leeanne Boyle plans to open the sanctuary in Abbeyknockmoy to provide a home for some 70 birds – mainly parrots – and a variety of other animals, including pigs, turtles, ferrets, rabbits and a few goats in a family friendly environment.

The sanctuary will be located at Abbert Demesne – and mother of three Leeanne told the Connacht Tribune that it was her immense love of animals that inspired her to do this.

“I have always had this immense love for animals and started rescuing about three or four years ago,” she said.

“I didn’t have the heart to turn any animal away – so I took in a few more and then I had no space for, and that’s where the idea for the sanctuary came about.

“I wanted to be able to give the animals more space than I could provide in a house setting and I wanted to be able to take in more if needed.

“Also I wanted to provide the animals with as much enrichment and have them in their natural environment or as close as I could get to that for them with Irish weather.

“So I researched the requirements for this and I spoke to quite a few people also and from what I could find online I believed that if I kept their enclosures under a certain measurement I didn’t require planning,” Leeane added.

She said she was also planning to provide an exotic animal care courses – and to that end she has partnered with a college in Dublin who will send their students to the facility.

“So I believed we fall under the education category also. “And because we can’t be seen from the road and we are 100 metres away from the neighbours we were good to go,” Leeanne said.

A planning decision is due on the proposed development in the middle of the year.

Pictured: Leanne Boyle with two of her recent rescues. Photos: Jacinta Fahy Photography.