In the years that I have known Matthew he has always been an animal lover with a particular affinity for dogs. He has the patience and demeanour that dogs of all ages respond well to. He instantly bonded with my dog, Buffy, when she was a puppy and he remains one of her favourite visitors to this day. Matthew was also instrumental in helping socialise Buffy with other dogs by gently introducing her to his own dog, Newt, and recognising immediately the difference between normal play and when things were starting to get a little too boisterous. There have been several occasions over the past year when I have required advice regarding training Buffy, and Matthew has always been incredibly helpful in guiding me in the right direction – always with excellent results at the end. He is a loyal, compassionate and reliable friend who I would trust to look after my dog for any length of time in the blink of an eye – which is not something I can say about many people.