Brightside Farm owner says she’s been the target of online trolls

Brightside Farm Sanctuary owner Emma Haswell has opened up about the intense bullying she’s received over a Facebook post where she asked for help.

Emma Haswell from Brightside Animal Farm with rescue greyhounds (from left) Benji, 5, Sweetie, 10, Paddi, 9 and Denny, 3. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

BRIGHTSIDE Farm Sanctuary owner Emma Haswell has opened up about the intense bullying she’s received following a fundraiser she created to help cover the not-for-profit’s expenses.

Ms Haswell last week created a fundraising page for her birthday to deal with vet bills of $39,000 and dozens of greyhounds needing care.

The appeal has raised over $30,000 but has been met with online trolls claiming the fundraiser was a profit exercise.

“This morning we received an email complaint from a woman saying that we should take her rooster considering we make a $400,000 profit,” Ms Haswell’s Facebook post read.

“We have never had that sort of money. A profit of even $50,000 would allow us to employ a second full-time worker, which is my dream.”

She said online bullies had left her feeling personally attacked.

“Why do people have to bully and try to break you? You should know that you succeed in upsetting me. I have ptsd from this job,” she said.

But Ms Haswell, who receives no stream of funding for her work, said she saw light through the hurt.

“Every bully, every hate campaign, every lie told about me makes me work harder to help the animals I love so much. I guess I should be thankful to you all. You drive me to strive harder for the animals.”

To help raise money to pay for the vet bills, people can donate on the fundraiser’s Facebook page titled “Emma’s Birthday Fundraiser for Brightside Farm Sanctuary Inc”.