About The Mutts Nutts rescue

I was an HR Manager for Churchill Insurance and “Oh Yes” I did have a nodding dog. I had taken voluntary redundancy in 2004 after the birth of my first child and after a 10-year career break (my children were then 10 and 8 years old) it was time to start thinking about what to do next. I remember clearly the phone call back from Terry, where I was, and what we talked about. This is because that phone call changed my life. I love being involved with The Mutts Nutts, this is truly the first role out of a variety of career paths to date that leaves me fulfilled and satisfied with my working day. My husband does not refer to my work as a job, how can it be when I enjoy it so much?!

I have been involved in our remote projects supporting other rescues up to the launch of our own foster facility in 2017. Now 8 years on, just post pandemic and with much older teens It is an absolute privilege to be our CEO/Operations Manager (sometimes known as Head Nutt!).  I am extremely proud of our HOMES service and the assistance we provide to the elderly and ill in our community. Not a day goes by without the realisation of how important pet companionship is. We are here to provide that support structure to enable stress free ownership can continue, even when life becomes less straightforward.

My skills developed over previous roles stand me in good stead for co-ordinating team members and volunteers and all things people.  What has become paramount over the last eight years is our unique charity provides as much support for humans as well as animals and as for “No experience necessary – but a love of dogs essential”, I think my devoted ownership of loopy Lhasa Apso dogs, yes I know, someone has to love the stubborn little characters (2 at home, 2 previously and an elderly Labrador) stands me in good stead for a bit of experience, but certainly a love of dogs (& cats too!).

After studying and earning my degree in Zoo Biology at Nottingham Trent University I found that one of my favourite subjects was animal behaviour – with a particular interest in Canine behaviour.

Once I finished university, I started working for the childrenswear and nursery department at John Lewis. But after 7 years there I was looking for a career change.

One evening I was browsing job websites and came across an advertisement for an Animal Management Trainee at a rescue close to where I live. The job seemed perfect for me and gave me the opportunity to put my degree to good use.

I applied and was overjoyed when I got the job. Due to my interest in canine behaviour and genuine love for animals working for The Mutts Nutts Rescue allows me to improve my knowledge, help animals and my local community at the same time, which is very fulfilling.

I was very fortunate to be able to retire early from a career in the National Health Service where I mainly worked as a dentist running my own small NHS practice. Before finally hanging up my drill I worked for a few years at a Dental Access Centre and was on a professional board of a local Primary Care Trust. 

Like our entire team, I have been an animal lover all my life, with cats being my passion, until seven years ago a pair of elderly terriers came into our charity’s care looking for a new home having tragically lost their elderly owner in a house fire. We had just had to have our beloved old cat put to sleep so “The Boys” came home and with them brought a whole new dimension of joy and companionship into our lives. We have sadly had to say goodbye to both Jack and Ted but the adage, “you are never alone with a dog” is so very true and having been fortunate enough to be able to welcome an adorable young Springer, Ben, into our home reinforces to me every day just how important a four – legged friend can be.

My role within the team is an absorbing and very rewarding one, I cannot think of a better way to be spending my “retirement” than working with a wonderful team of like-minded individuals and volunteers who are passionate about helping pets, and hence their owners and families, in times of need.

This is most marked when at the beginning, middle and sometimes even end of a long day creating a new facility for rescue dogs and cats I am fed sausage sandwiches and cake, washed down with copious quantities of builders’ tea. I have worked in the building trade all my life, I am a carpenter by trade, but like all true tradesman I can fortunately turn my hand to anything to do with buildings that I might be asked to do.

These Mutts Nutts projects have, seriously though, been enormously rewarding. They are all still standing and providing wonderful facilities for the pets housed in them. We have had fun building them and it has not been too much hardship to devote weekends and spare days in a busy builder’s life in creating a home for pets in need.

I am a lifelong lover of dogs and we have always had rescue dogs living in our home.

Our current adorable pair of rescued Westies, Bracken and Benji often accompany me on jobs in my van. They might look as though butter wouldn’t melt, but they can be feisty little critters, I wouldn’t have it any other way!

In my working life I am a technical professional who trains corporate customers in specialist software and supports them with any technical problems. As a ‘techy’ trustee, I am now helping the team with the intricacies of the digital world. My earlier career consisted of a considerable amount of travel so when that eased, I convinced my Husband that we ‘needed’ a dog. Getting Phil, the Labrador, changed my world! He was a rescue and had issues with other dogs, this led me to investigate dog behaviour, which started a passion that I still have today, attending regular webinars, conferences and reading a lot! I have since rescued Deano a Romanian street dog who had a bite history, Mols my perfect Labrador and my current dogs, Xena a Belarusian street dog who is terrified of most things and Bjorn who came from Romania but was in rescue, in the UK for over 4 years, he is a giant love bug but likes barking at people on walks.

We can’t change the world, but I have always found that rescuing dogs does change the world of both rescue and rescuer and for me that’s a fantastic thing to be a part of.

So how did I come to be a Trustee of The Mutts Nutts Rescue? Through my experiences with both my own rescue cats and dogs and my professional career, I’ve learnt so much about animals’ behaviour, body language, and how to read these to help them lead happy, comfortable lives. I had been wondering how I could use all this information to help more animals when I crossed paths with members of the Mutts Nutts team. They explained about the big changes the pets were going through (being walked, temporarily fostered or re-homed when their elderly or poorly owners needed some help) and I saw how the Mutts Nutts charity would so kindly and diligently support them. I loved the aim and mission of the charity, and I wanted to be a part of it. I was expecting to help by standing at a few fundraising stalls but was thrilled to be offered a position as trustee! I’m looking forward to helping this charity continue to support many more pets and owners for many more years to come.

Following Bonnie’s departure to her new permanent home, my contact with Bec continued.  Fast-forward another month and another elderly Jack Russell cross – Basil – came into our lives in early December 2023, as he needed a new home due to his previous owner sadly being diagnosed with a terminal illness.  Animal fostering/adoption is most definitely reciprocal, as Basil was the one rescuing us from our sadness and as such, he quickly became a ‘foster fail’ and we adopted him in early January 2024. 

Our previous dog Elsie’s sudden death was a personal reminder that ‘life is too short’ and so I made the decision to leave my job at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply in December 2023.  Having more time on my hands, I submitted a volunteer form, but Bec and Jane decided my professional experience and skills might be better suited to supporting the charity in other ways.  I was therefore flattered and delighted to accept their offer of joining the Board of Trustees of the Mutts Nutts Rescue in February 2024.

“Be more dog” is a phrase I love, as it’s a simple reminder to humans to live in the moment, find joy in the smallest things and to love without exception or expectation.   If I can help the Mutts Nutts charity and its supporters to continue with their mission and uphold this sentiment, then my role within this charity will be thoroughly worthwhile.

Terry

My history is primarily in the corporate world of Learning and Development, but with time spent in Retail, Leisure services and Manufacturing. It was here that I learnt that people, no matter who they are and where they have come from, need love and laughter in their lives to flourish and grow. Having been an animal lover all my life, I know with total conviction, that animals, no matter who they are and where they have come from, provide love and laughter – and that belief is why we started this journey! For every cat and dog you help, you change for the better the lives of many people. My job from the beginning was to create a picture of the future and to bring The Mutts Nutts Rescue into being – and so it follows that, like my fellow Founders, there is something of each of us woven into this story. For my part I love big ideas, silly outfits, getting my hands dirty, community spirit, and all things furry and feathered. I’m seriously bothered by injustice, cruelty and loneliness. So, if you’ll excuse the pun – in a Nuttshell, that’s me.

Debs

I’m the one who worked at bringing The Mutts Nutts Rescue to the attention of our community and was happy to run stalls, help organise fundraising events large and small  and rattle the tins on street corners for the much-needed funds to ensure we could deliver on our promises. My background is in Retail and Learning and Development and I too have a passion for making a difference in people’s lives with and through animals. Dogs, cats and horses have filled my life – waifs and strays have always been my thing! 

In founding The Mutts Nutts Rescue I’ve been the glue that binds us together and take huge pleasure in doing a job to the very best of my ability. I’ve been the voice of reason, quietly ensuring that we maintained a steady course – and here we are, many years later, still the firmest of friends, able to say ‘we did ok’!

Jane

Being the Chair of Trustees and playing a still active role within the Mutts Nutts Rescue team is a privilege and an honour and the most rewarding way I can think of for spending my “retirement”.

Assimilating new, enthusiastic, and younger Trustees onto the Board so that they can continue and expand the charity’s work in the local community is fundamental to my role, and I am indeed fortunate in that my fellow founders remain such generous supporters of the charity and good friends too.