An animal charity near Shepton Mallet has made an urgent appeal for funds in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Happy Landings Animal Shelter, near Pylle, has made the appeal as it relies on fundraising from events during the year, most of which have been cancelled due to the virus, and from boarding customers who have had to cancel.

The shelter is now closed for boarding bookings, visitors and rehoming, but animals currently on site are being cared for by dedicated staff.

A spokesperson said: "In closing Happy Landings it brings a huge financial impact and we are all incredibly worried about the charity's future.

"Sadly, due to the virus, most boarding customers have had to cancel their stays, and we cannot attend the fundraising events we had planned and donations are dropping.

"With no government funding it means most of our income has suddenly disappeared. The very blunt reality of this is that charities like us are going to risk having to close as we cannot survive.

"We do not want this situation to mean the end of Happy Landings when before this we were looking at a bright future with new facilities."

To donate to the charity you can visit their Virgin Money Giving website here.

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As well as making financial donations, supporters can still donate items direct via a courier or to leave them at the gate and let the Happy Landings team know by phone or message that they are there.

The charity is also still able to offer behavioural advice for rehomed animals, helping and advising using conferencing facilities on phones.