An RSPCA adviser rehoming animals in need | Vicky Meets

How long have you worked at Mount Noddy? I have been here five years. I started as an animal care assistant, going on to become a behaviour and welfare adviser three years ago.

What does your job entail? Assessing animals for rehoming and rehabilitating them. Some animals may have been neglected or abused, so I see where they are at, build a bond with them and advise staff on what we need to do to get an animal into a good place to be rehomed.

I also assess potential foster care applicants and check on dogs out in foster care.

Can you train older dogs? If animals come to us as strays with no history it can be a real challenge to work them out. Some have complex needs and, for many, kennels is not the best environment to train them in. But yes – you can train an older dog.

Most behaviour can be dealt with, but it can take a lot of patience and effort. My goal is to make sure that when a dog is rehomed that it is a good citizen.

Has the pandemic escalated the number of animals being brought to you? Yes. We currently receive around 10 calls a day from people who either can’t afford to keep a pet, or they are returning to work and their dog has acute separation-related behaviour and/or are really reactive to people coming into the house.

Lockdown created all these sorts of issues for puppies. But you can find a local accredited trainer via the Animal Behaviour & Training Council.

It’s really important to use an accredited trainer. And do check with your insurance company, as some are now covering behavioural issues on insurance.

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You’ve just opened your fabulous new centre in Eartham. What’s coming next? The new building is enabling us to do much more for the community.

I am an accredited puppy trainer, so we are starting puppy classes soon.

It’s a really exciting time at the centre. Our new buildings include a hydrotherapy pool, vet rooms and a shop and we are busy training new staff.

Do you have any animals that need a particular type of forever home? One dog has crippling separation anxiety and we are struggling to get him rehomed. He is a big dog and needs a large garden and people with experience of large breeds. I’m working with him to help him regain trust.

With the right home, where someone would continue to work with him, he will be a dream dog.

We are also recruiting fosterers, for cats and dogs. Fostering is a great way to find out if you could really cope with an animal full-time. We completely support the animal financially, so if you just want the company then it can be a great solution.

Where can we find more information? Fostering and adoption: [email protected]

Accredited animal trainers and behaviourists: abtc.org.uk/practitioners