STAFF have paid tribute to a former colleague who dedicated her life to helping abandoned pets.

Maggie Whalley, the warden of Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, passed away last month. She died aged 57 on July 23 at Sobell House Hospice in Headington, after suffering from liver cancer.

Her funeral is due to take place today at Oxford Crematorium at 1.45pm.

Ms Whalley, of Champion Way, Littlemore, began working at the Stadhampton sanctuary more than 20 years ago. She was appointed warden in the early 1990s by Margaret Gray, who was then the chairman.

More than 20 staff now look after 335 animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, sheep, goats, a horse and a pony.

Ms Whalley’s former colleagues paid tribute to her dedication.

Sanctuary manager Ron Heath said: “Maggie dedicated her life to the sanctuary and will be very sadly missed.

“She only went home a couple of nights a week and the other nights she stayed in the flat at the sanctuary.

“She was on 24-hour call on the phone and we have lost count of the number of condolence cards we have received here at the centre.

“Maggie was single and never married and the animals and people who worked here were part of her family. She was extremely dedicated.”

Mr Heath said Ms Whalley loved dogs and adopted a Yorkshire Terrier she called Ragamuffin in 2001 after he was found cowering beneath a van in Herschel Crescent, Littlemore.

The terrier will now be looked after by a colleague who lives in Didcot.

Mr Heath added: “If Maggie was staying here, Ragamuffin would be with her, and if she went home, she took him with her.

“She also had three cats and they will now be looked after by the sanctuary.”

Mr Heath said Ms Whalley kept working at the sanctuary until about two weeks before she died.

He said: “She didn’t want to stop working here and told us shortly before she died that she thought she had nine months to live.

“We used to have to persuade her to go out and buy food for herself, because she would rather go hungry than leave her animals.

“If she heard a dog barking in the night at the sanctuary and thought there was something wrong, she would go out to check.”

Mr Heath said staff were now planning a memorial to Ms Whalley at the sanctuary.

They will plant a tree, or erect a memorial plaque or bench.