Having grown up around various breeds of dog, I suppose it was inevitable that dogs would feature in my future quite prominently. As a teenager, most of my time was spent horse riding – love the smell of hoof oil and molasses. As time passed and I had my own children, it was a great surprise to find that my daughter loved riding as well and it was something we could do together.
I’ve been involved in dog rescue for some time now and though a founder of UK Spaniel Rescue, my preferred breed is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. We’ve always had dogs in the home for as long as I can remember and, whilst growing up with both dogs and horses, it was always going to be more viable to keep dogs! I have been the proud owner of several rescues in the past and am now currently owned by a Puggle, Lemmy (my husband’s dog, very much his dog to the point where he will completely ignore me if my husband is out), having lost Gypsy, Harley, Kizzie, Lili and Bella. In the past family dogs have also been an English Springer Spaniel, Dan (or Daniel the Spaniel) and E-Buzz, our rescue mutt.
For those who may not know me personally, I have lived in Freckleton for over 50 years. I have two wonderful children and one adorable granddaughter. All are also dog mad, especially Elsie my granddaughter, whose first words on waking now are, “Where’s Mabel?” (their Staffie cross) and with Mabel sulking in my granddaughter’s room until she comes home from nursery.
I enjoy visiting Crufts for the networking and supporting small businesses there and was thrilled that this year, my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter joined me with my granddaughter making her ‘debut’ with her audience participation piece hiding scented items for dogs. My daughter and I first visited Crufts with the aim of educating the owners of Staffordshire Bull Terriers on the sad consequences of not having SBTs tested for L2-HGA. A debilitating neurological condition found predominently in Staffords but occasionally in other breeds. We got to know many of the people who visited every year and so a precedent was set for Mother/Daughter time…now Mother/Daughter/Son in law/Granddaughter time!
I started my venture into dog rescue as a home visitor for many other rescues. I then went on to become a receptionist for my local RSPCA, a volunteer for the Animal Team, founder and trustee for Wags and Bones Staffie Rescue Support, a trustee and volunteer/foster co-ordinator for the Senior Staffy Club and as trustee, secretary and chair for another Spaniel rescue. I also support owners of banned breeds and those of dogs that have fallen foul of the law in one way or another and have attended many seminars on dog law for professionals, held by Trevor Cooper, as a representative of my non-profit organisation, Deed Not Breed, along with my colleagues, Mel and Caroline. I have also had the honour of being a panel member on two of Trevor’s webinars on Breed Specific Legislation.
My life now mainly consists of rehoming Spaniels through a rescue I set up with my friends, and colleagues, Lisa and Caroline and so UK Spaniel Rescue was born. Run entirely by volunteers, our foster-based rescue helps Spaniels who can no longer stay in their homes. We don’t judge — we simply offer help, whether that’s through advice from our qualified behaviour team, temporary fostering, or full rehoming. Every dog comes with lifelong rescue backup. Our trustees and team are force-free professionals with decades of experience in Spaniel (and other breeds) rescue. We prioritise education, communication, rehabilitation, and collaboration, always with the dog’s welfare at the centre.
I’m not going to say, “I’m a massive dog lover”, because that would be stating the obvious.
I founded Serendipawty K9 Care to be an independent professional dedicated not just to caring for clients’ dog but also to canine welfare. My commitment is to use positive, force-free care exclusively. In recent months, I have enhanced my services by completing a microchip implanter course, allowing me to fully integrate the mobile microchipping company I previously established. This work is underpinned by my experience as a founder and trustee of UK Spaniel Rescue, providing me with access to top national behaviourists and legal experts. I am insured, DBS checked and a fully certified canine first aider.
It is my hope that, as well as looking after your dog, I can provide a little helpful information because no matter how experienced we are at caring for our dogs, there is always something new to learn.