If wild birds enhance your life

This famous hospital on the Cornish Cliffs was founded in 1928 by the Misses Dorothy and Phyllis Yglesias. Over the years the Sanctuary has become famous, especially so, during the Torrey Canyon disaster, when over 8,000 oiled sea birds passed through the Hospital. After the sisters found it had become too hard a task running the Hospital alone, they approached the RSPCA who finally agreed to take over the massive task of running the hospital in 1953. Staff were employed and the financial burden was at last taken from the sisters' shoulders. During the next few years the Hospital was run on the same lines as the sisters has run it for all those years before. However, at the end of February 1975 the RSPCA withdrew all financial support due to their own monetary difficulties. The Misses Yglesias and many of their friends were determined that the hospital would not close and a public appeal was opened to which there was a tremendous response. At a public meeting held in February 1975 a committee was selected to run the Hospital again on the same lines as before. On the 28th July 1976 the Sanctuary became a charity in its own right funded entirely by voluntary contributions. July 1978 saw a turning point when Mobil Oil Co, presented a cheque for £10,000. This amount covered the expenditure for 1 year.

In the same month Miss Dorothy's second book was published "In Answer to the Cry". Her first book "The Cry of a Bird" was printed in 1962 and came out in paper back in 1989. Sadly in 1977 the death occured of Miss Phyllis or Pug as she was affectionately known. January 1980 saw Miss Dorothy's many years of dedication recognizes when she was bestowed with the MBE in the New Years Honours List. On February 14th 1980 came the saddest blow to the Bird Hospital when its Founder and President Miss Dorothy died. She died as she had lived, still taking an active interest in the daily care of birds and her ashes were laid to rest at the Hospital.

...Please help us to save theirs