I am a confident, caring and experienced dog handler. I have always had dogs in my family and have regularly looked after my friends' and relatives' dogs. Growing up I helped my neighbour, a Basset Hound breeder, look after her litters of puppies, by keeping them entertained, training them and cleaning their beds. I grew up with a black Labrador called Lucie. I attended weekly agility training classes with Lucie for four years. Thanks to my training with her she was one of the top performers at the local dog school. For the last year of her life she lived with me and I was her sole carer. I therefore have experience looking after senior dogs with health problems such as arthritis. After high school I took a gap year, which I spent volunteering at animal sanctuaries, dog kennels, stables and animal rescue centres in the UK and in Costa Rica. My favourite experience was volunteering at Dogs Trust in West London. I really enjoyed my time spent there walking the dogs and playing with them. My responsibilities also included cleaning the cages and organising meals. At Dogs Trust I learnt a lot about looking after nervous dogs as many of the dogs had been abused or were previously racing dogs. My gap year taught me a lot about animal handling and animal care and behaviour. I miss having a dog about the house since my dog passed away so I would be delighted to have a furry friend overnight, during the day or to take on a walk.