My Dog Rescue Diary

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My Story

So one day I just decided that I wanted to work with dogs, having a passion for them from a young age. Firstly in 2017, I went to volunteer at the Blue Cross along side setting up a little dog walking business in Devon where I grew up. Whilst I built up my clientele, Blue Cross employed me to work there as an animal welfare assistant. I learnt a great amount about dog body language, training, basic care and the re homing process. My dog walking was going great and I continued that for about a year which I absolutely loved (yes, even in the winter months). It taught me that there are many dogs out there who need help and that you can achieve anything you put your mind to!

In 2018, I went on to do some travelling for a couple years. On my travels, I volunteered through ‘Workaway’ at a dog boarding center for two months in Rome, Italy. This opened my eyes to animal welfare in Europe, taught me many life skills and I made great friends with new and interesting people... and dogs of course! Shortly after, I flew out to Zakynthos, Greece (where my mum now lives) and searched for local dog rescue shelters and found Zante Strays, which holds around 130+ dogs. I asked if I could come and see the dogs and when I got there it broke my heart but all I knew was that I had to help. This also was a massive eye opener to animal cruelty. Although it can be very challenging and heart breaking at times, being part of re homing such beautiful dogs makes me very proud. I thoroughly enjoy caring for them and changing one dogs world at a time is very rewarding work. As part of being a volunteer, I do foster young puppies, until they are fully vaccinated and care for them at such a critical time, so they can have a better start in life. It also helps them get set up for when they get re homed. They don’t all make it but for the ones that survive it is 100% worth every minute. I have met some amazing people on the way from all different backgrounds. One thing we all have in common is the love of dogs. Of course, I have my own Zante Stray I adopted, my best friend Billy!

In 2020, I worked with Jo (a dog behaviorist) and good friend who I met out in Zante and who has a dog behavior and wellness centre in the UK (Dog Trouble). I have had the privilege of seeing some of the strays from Zante again at the centre and be involved in their rehabilitation and rehoming. From working with Jo, I have learnt more about different methods of training, how to pack walk, dog health and the importance of getting the right match with dogs and their owners. It was a great opportunity for me to progress and through all my experience up to now I have realized that rescue is where my heart is.

Following my trip to Italy, here is what the owners of the pet boarding center had to say: ‘ Jessica was a fantastic presence at our pet boarding center! First and foremost, she has a true gift for working with dogs and shows incredible patience and passion in her caring for and training them. She stays calm even when problems arise, and she finds solutions. She is very efficient and thorough and takes pride in the work she does. Jessica doesn't shy away from hard work and manual labor, either! She also has a knack for innovative organizing and managing of difficult-to-handle or chaotic moments. She is a very great resource and we hope she will come back some day! Highly recommend!’ Please enjoy the photos and stories of the beautiful dogs, I am so lucky to have met and continue to meet!