A SITE in Llanrwst offering rehabilitation, rehoming and advice services for dogs has closed, with its decision to do so attributed to its owner being in ill health.

Snowdonia Animal Sanctuary, on Pant y Pwll, was originally set up by Anne de Berry in 2002.

But yesterday (April 11), Ms de Berry’s daughter, Jo, told the Pioneer that it has closed for good due to her mother’s illness.

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She said: “Due to illness, she can no longer run the sanctuary, so we have rehomed all of the dogs.”

Last month, the animal shelter criticised “misinformation” which had circulated about its practices on social media.

The non-profit shelter had been accused of “breeding bully breeds”, as well as misusing donations.

Extracts from a statement, written on behalf of Ms de Berry on March 22, read: “As many of you may be aware, Anne has had a very bad spell of ill heath over the past few months.

“As a family, we have stepped in to care for Anne to help her recover and enable her return home.

“We have taken on assisting the already amazing network of volunteers that help out at the sanctuary every day in caring and rehoming dogs that are in need with the same no-kill policy.

“We did have a visit from the RSPCA due to false allegations that we were breeding bully breeds at the sanctuary.”

The statement claimed that the RSPCA attended but cleared the sanctuary to continue “giving the same care to the animals as always”.

It added: “Any donations that have been donated are used directly on the animals and their care.

“This happens in many forms, whether it's buying supplies or paying for vet bills for dogs that have been rescued in ill heath.

“These donations are vital to keep the sanctuary running on a day-to-day basis. Donations don't always need to be of monetary value - donating food, bedding and time iss also amazing.

“We hope this clarification is helpful to clear up some of the misinformation that has been put on Facebook recently.”

When contacted by the Pioneer, North Wales Police said it carried out a warrant with the RSPCA at the sanctuary last December, but is not currently investigating the location.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA added: “Unfortunately, we are unable to discuss complaints about specific people and what action may have been taken for legal reasons.

“We will always look into animal welfare concerns reported to us and where necessary investigate.

“We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare.

“A lot of the time issues will be dealt with by advice and education and it is not always appropriate to publicise this information for legal reasons.”