Tell me a little about you – I enjoy gardening and love interiors, any spare time I have left over after running around after my two sons, is spent trying to do up our Edwardian semi on a budget. We’re waiting until my sons are a little older and then we’ll be on the lookout for a rescue cat. I grew up with cats so can’t wait to finally have one of my own. Although I’m lucky my job does provide a lot of cat interaction!
How long have you been doing the role? I have been working for the branch for 6 years (as at January 2022). It doesn’t feel like that long as I had a couple of maternity leaves in the middle! The branch has come a long way since I first started. Two new shops and now a whole new board of trustees – we’re going from strength to strength!
What are your responsibilities? As Branch Manager, my role is extremely varied and a bit unpredictable! I essentially manage the day to day running of all the animal welfare activities, and ensure the shops are fully stocked, and all staff and volunteers are happy and working hard for the animals!
I take calls from the public about animal welfare concerns, general pet advice and questions, requests to sign over animals they can no longer care for, and enquiries about adoptions.
In any one day I might be out trapping an injured stray cat in someone’s garden, carrying out a home visit for a potential adopter, doing an audit on one of our shops, or organising a raffle for a fundraising event – all while posting on social media! It’s certainly never boring and the best part is knowing that it’s all helping the most vulnerable animals in our area.
Why did you join the RSPCA? Before working for the RSPCA I was a menswear fashion buyer. I had fallen out of love with the corporate world and wanted a change. I saw the job advert and was immediately interested. As a child I wanted to be a vet and have always had a passion for animals, I knew this would be a great opportunity to do something meaningful and actually make a difference. I do see a lot of animals in distress, and hear terrible stories of what they’ve been through, which is hard, but being able to rescue, rehabilitate and then find lovely new owners for them, is so rewarding – I get to go home with a fuzzy warm feeling in my tummy!
Do you have a message for our followers/supporters/volunteers? We honestly couldn’t do it without you. I will never cease to be amazed by the continued hard work and dedication of our volunteers – without whom our shops simply wouldn’t be able to stay open.
Tirelessly sorting donations, creating wonderful window displays and helping customers, all the while pushing the brand message – we’re here for the animals! And every new follow and like we get on our social media pages – you may not think that it makes a difference but with every share and every comment, you’re helping to get our message of animal welfare out to a wider community. We all want to create a better world for our animals and together we can.
What is your favourite domestic and favourite British wild animal, and why? It’s an obvious one but it’s got to be the cat for me – I’m here for the nonchalance! And wild animal is a bit of an adopted one – the otter. It’s always been my husband’s favourite animal and after many visits to wildlife reserves and sanctuaries, I’ve come to appreciate their loveable cheeky ways too!
Do you have an amusing/heart-warming animal related anecdote, story or joke that you can share?
Who stole the soap from the bathroom?
The robber ducky.
RSPCA South London 