WHEN doctor's receptionist Susanna Bolton heads home from work there's no such thing as taking it easy.

Susanna just swaps her patients for the four-legged, feathered variety and has turned her home into an animal hospital.

But only the name Noah's Ark gives a clue to the work going on behind the scenes at the semi detached house in Anchor Avenue, Darwen.

Susanna has built up a reputation as a saviour to sick wild animals and unwanted pets with the help of her young family, Tim, 14, Matthew, 13, and Veronica, 10.

It all started when Darwen Moorland High School pupil Tim spotted an appeal for volunteers at the Blackburn-based animal hospital Wildlife Line during a visit to the vet.

"We have always been animal lovers, but things have really escalated since Tim became a volunteer at the charity six months ago," explained Susanna.

"We agreed to take in the overspill of injured wildlife, which has included about 30 wild birds so far. Word of mouth means a lot of unwanted or abandoned pets are brought to the door or people ring us to tell us about animals in distress.

"We've even managed to recruit our neighbours to look after all the hedgehogs."

At the moment, their zoo-like sanctuary, which houses an aviary and kennels, is home to seven dogs, two crows, a hand-reared owl, a kestrel, eight ferrets, a rabbit, snakes and a litter of puppies.

The rescue work is funded solely by Susanna's work as a senior medical receptionist at Doctor Nagpal's surgery in Audley, Blackburn.

She added: "I work full-time to feed the animals. Everybody at the surgery is used to me now.

"People have been known to come in for a prescription and go out with a kitten or puppy. "One day I even had the midwife hand-feeding a crow in between her ante-natal clinics.

"Some patients will come to see me about their dog rather than their health."

The latest additions to the ark are a litter of seven puppies, a male rabbit and some ferrets. They are all looking for good homes.

Susanna said: "We also do a lot of work with the Darwen charity Pets in Need. The telephone never stops ringing.

"It's become a 24 hours-a-day job and only works because the whole family is involved and other people are so supportive.

"We all get a lot out of it too. It's great when a lovely home is found for an unwanted animal or when an injured wild animal is well enough to be released."

Anyone able to offer a good home to the unwanted pets staying at the house can ring Susanna on 01254 610965.

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