Saved From Death Row

Australia’s only sanctuary for disabled and abused animals is facing a new battle.

- Keeley Henderson

They were rescued from euthanasia, but now these furry and feathered battlers at Storybook Farm are set to be homeless.

‘We are leasing this property and have just found out it’s up for development,’ says 50-year old LJ Cameron, who runs the sanctuary with her two children Alex, 19, and Jonah, 13.

‘We have six weeks to find a new home.’

As New Idea sits down with LJ, a little sausage dog with bright blue eyes bounds over as fast as his wheels can carry him.

Seven-year-old Krumm can’t use his hind legs due to an Inter Vertebral disc disease (IVDD), but a specially made wheelchair enables him to lead a full and happy life. He even starred in the upcoming film Flammable Children, with Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce.

The dashing dachshund is one of around 40 creatures who reside at Storybook Farm, situated within the picturesque Gold Coast hinterland.

‘When our own dog Mr Waddles went down with IVDD, we learnt during his treatment – or lack of – that all animals with special needs are put down.

‘I was like: “Why are we doing this? They are still full of life, full of energy. That’s not right,”’ says the lifelong animal rescuer.

And that’s how Storybook Farm was born.

Among the sanctuary’s cheekiest residents is Burt Bumble, a four-month-old bulldog with spina bifida.

‘Burty arrived with a bowel infection and his rear legs were quite weak. But today he can run around chasing his mates. Burty is such a gentle, funny soul,’ says LJ with a smile.