BLACKBIRD LEYS’ newest PSCO Rachel Parrott loves animals so much that she asked guests at her wedding to donate pet food instead of wedding presents.

And it is not even for her own impressive family of pets: she and her new husband Greg are donating the entire haul to Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary.

Now she wants to sell her wedding dress, which she wore for the first time on Saturday, through the Oxford Mail to raise even more for the Stadhampton rescue centre.

Mrs Parrott, 39, tied the knot with customer services worker Greg, 54, at the Loyd Lindsay Rooms in Ardington, near Wantage.

She said: “I love animals, and we didn’t need anything ourselves, so we just said it would be nice if people could donate to the sanctuary.

“They rely on donations.”

Mrs Parrott, nee Williams, has only visited the sanctuary once, 15 years ago, to adopt a rabbit.

She said: “It was a very nice place, but I could tell they needed fundraising for them.

“Other animal charities like the RSPCA and Blue Cross are are already well advertised, and Stadhampton are not as well known.”

The couple from Grove, near Wantage, now have two cats, two dogs and two rabbits to look after as well as their three children.

Mrs Parrott joked that Mr Parrott had banned her from visiting the sanctuary again as she would inevitably end up adopting a new pet.

The couple said that on Saturday they were inundated with donations of dog, rabbit and cat food as well as treats.

Mrs Parrott said she and her husband, 14-year-old boys Jake and Jordan and four-year-old Ruby had a “brilliant and amazing” day.

Back at home, their menagerie is completed by moggies Fat Cat and Izzy, Border Collie Alfie and Jack Russell-Chihuahua cross Oscar and Jazzy and Malcolm the rabbits.

The couple are hoping someone from the sanctuary will be coming to collect the bags of pet food and treats tomorrow.

To put in your bid on the wedding dress and help support the sanctuary, email phughes@nqo.com or call 01865 425431.