I grew up in animal care in Australia, where my mother was an official rehabilitation carer for the RSPCA (along as an annual fundraiser for WWF). Our home was a revolving door for all walks of life. Everything from kangaroos and dingos to sheep and horses - so responsible, hands-on animal care was simply part of daily life from a young age. Dogs were my mother's particular specialty, and she cared from everything from Chihuahuas to Pitbulls, often at the same time (and always without a single fight between them). As the eldest of five children, I was regularly given responsibility for looking after our animals and for setting the example for my younger siblings. My own first dog, Shandy, came into my life on my third birthday and stayed by my side for a wonderful 18 years. She was my grounding in what it means to properly care for a dog throughout every stage of its life. Since moving from Sydney to London back in 2009, my hands-on animal care has continued closer to home having adopted a rescue cat, Sharon, who's now 14 and very much my ride-or-die. She's taught me a lot about patience, trust and reading non-verbal cues. Skills that transfer directly to working with animals who can't tell you what they need in words.