A primary school in Sunderland has adopted two hedgehogs which will live out their days on the school's grounds.
Jimmy the hedgehog has sustained permanent damage to his neck after being "kicked around like a football" by a teenager who has since been prosecuted for their act of cruelty. Then there's Huffy, who is blind in one eye after becoming entangled in a garden strimmer.
As neither hedgehog can return safely to the wild, they have been rehabilitated through Sunderland animal welfare charity Pawz for Thought, and have at last found a new home at St Mary’s RC Primary School, which is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.
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Deputy Headteacher at St Mary's, Claire Clinton, said the re-homing project, which was launched at the start of the month, has helped to teach children about kindness, respect for animals and responsibility of caring for pets.
"It's been a huge success so far," said Claire. "Jimmy and Huffy are the school celebrities. There isn't a day that goes by where one of the children doesn't ask me about them."
It was ecologist and Pawz for Thought volunteer Julie Dyson who approached St Mary's about the re-homing project as the charity had been keen to 'get children involved in learning how they can help and support local wildlife'.
"What we don't want is any children growing up and thinking that it's acceptable to treat a hedgehog as though it were a football," said Claire. "Having animals around the school and teaching the children how to look after them helps them to develop empathy and a passion for wildlife and nature.
"The hut is specially designed with a small cubbyhole area for the hedgehogs to sleep and hibernate and than a larger outdoor pen area where they can play. Volunteers from the local community will be coming in to paint the hut, so this really is a community project for all ages.
"The School Council are largely in charge of running the hedgehogs feeding, weighing, cleaning and water schedule but they take a surprising amount of work to look after so all the children are involved. A lot of the children don't have pets at home, so this gives them a chance to understand the responsibility of looking after an animal
"We've been hugely supported by Pawz for Thought in caring for the pair, and the children have found a whole new appreciation for hedgehogs."
The school are currently in the process of purchasing a night camera so that they can monitor the hedgehogs habits at night, as the nocturnal animals are often asleep most of the day. The project has been so success that two new additions will be added to the sanctuary over the next few months including Bob, who is entirely blind, and Connie who has lifelong injures after being abused.
The children chose the name Connie after a classmate who moved schools but was heavily involved in caring for Jimmy and Huffy.
"It's such a shame that because of these animals disabilities they can't enjoy life in their natural habitat, but I'm so pleased that we get to give them a safe and comfortable home," said Claire. "We're hoping for hoglets in the near future, which the children will then be able to release into the grounds of our forest school where there are already several wild hedgehogs released by Pawz for Thought."
