THE LONG-RUNNING saga of the sale of a Gwent animal sanctuary has finally come to an end.

Former All Creatures Great and Small trustee Dino Savini, who gave co-owner Viv Harris, pictured, an ultimatum about buying him out which could have led to the site's closure, has left the Llanfrechfa sanctuary.

Mr Savini, who owned half the sanctuary at Church Farm, for almost nine years along with Ms Harris, gave her a deadline to raise £150,000 to buy him out or he would put the farm up for sale.

That would effectively have rendered homeless the 400-plus unwanted, injured and abandoned animals, ranging from cats to chinchillas and foxes to ferrets.

The sanctuary - which registered as a charity last year - met the deadline of December 1, thanks to a £60,000 interest-free loan donated anonymously, but the farm was still put on the market for £270,000 and Mr Savini remained on site.

Ms Harris began a frantic search for alternative accommodation for herself and the 400-plus animals cared for at the farm, fearing her budget would not stretch to anything suitable.

However, last week, an agreement was finally reached and Mr Savini accepted the money to buy him out and moved to another property.

Now the farm is registered in trust in the name of the charity and will "belong to the animals" once the loan is paid off.

A relieved Ms Harris said: "I am so glad it's finally over and the uncertainty has come to an end. Now we can get on with the task in hand of caring for the animals. It is absolutely wonderful."

The charity's board of trustees and loyal band of volunteer helpers are now keen to start fundraising once more to pay to refurbish an existing building and build more to provide new kennels and puppy and cat houses.

"We have got so many here at the moment, as the kitten season is about to start and we have a lot of pregnant cats, plus unwanted puppies," said Ms Harris.

"We want to get on with these projects, as we have delayed them for about two years and we desperately need them. And we have to raise £50,000 a year just to pay for the animals we have got here, so the fundraising never stops."

With that in mind, the sanctuary will be holding an open day on June 22, with stalls, pony rides, a disco and bouncy castle, and volunteers are continuing to organise fundraising events.

"At least we have had this weight lifted off our shoulders and everyone is really thrilled," she added.

"There were a lot of people asking where the money had gone and now we can finally tell them that their hard work raising money for us was all worthwhile."