Life With Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home: ‘You can try not to get attached to the dogs, but it’s inevitable’

Rachel Halliday a kennel assistant at Edinburgh Dog and Cat home talks to us about her love of animals, the joy of seeing dogs being rehomed and how emotionally demanding the job can be.

I have always loved animals of all shapes and sizes. Some of my earliest memories are of my grandparent’s dogs – a little yorkie called Kim and a collie cross called Pepe. I would love playing with them in the garden and getting trusted to hold the lead when I was big enough not to get pulled over (which did result in skint knees a few times).

Pestering my parents every birthday and Christmas for a puppy resulted in a fair few stuffed dog toys to try and appease me.

I have been working with dogs for the last four and a half years and before that a variety of other animals from fish to birds to monkeys.

I left school and went to study Geology at the University of Aberdeen in 2011. I loved getting to spend time outdoors and hated having to sit in front of a computer for hours – I knew I wanted a career where I was out and about and up on my feet doing something practical. 

A few years after I finished my degree I started studying animal care which would set me on the path to where I am now. 

‘It’s amazing to see the dogs let loose and have fun’

I start work at 8am and head to the kennel to say good morning to the dogs and let them out to stretch their legs.

The kennels get a deep clean then it’s time for breakfast. We measure out all the dog’s food and add any tasty meat the dogs might enjoy, especially if they are a little fussy. Slow feeders for the overly enthusiastic ones.

After breakfast the dogs tend to settle down for a post breakfast relax, then it’s time for walks. 

We will walk the dogs in our large, enclosed paddocks to get a good run around or down to the beach for a paddle in the water or to dig in the sand. It’s amazing to see some of the more stressed dogs getting to let loose and have fun.

Any dogs that have any behavioural issues that need to be addressed or need a little extra support are assessed by our dog trainers and put on a training plan. 

This could be anything from learning how to interact with other dogs, gaining confidence to meet new people and learning that the world isn’t such a scary place after all. 

Some dogs just don’t know their size and if they are boisterous and strong this can put off potential new owners, so we work with these dogs to try and get this under control and to set them up for success in a new home.

No two days are the same, which I love. You have to be flexible. You can make a plan for the day which can be totally derailed within the first 10 minutes – you have to adapt. That’s the nature of working with animals. It keeps you on your toes.

‘Forming that bond with a dog is so rewarding’

Getting to see the dogs go off to their new homes is incredible. It’s such a beautiful thing seeing people fall in love with the dogs you look after every day and seeing updates when they are all settled in their new homes can be emotional. 

Especially for the dogs that found their time in the kennels difficult – seeing them lounging on the couch relaxed and happy is why we do the job.

You can try not to get attached to the dogs, but it’s inevitable. The long-term residents or the more challenging dogs, you end up spending a lot of time with and seeing their progress makes it easy to become attached. 

Forming that bond with a dog is so rewarding but it makes it very bittersweet when they go off to their new homes. 

‘Seeing the neglect cases can be tough’

We are getting a very high volume of surrender requests from people looking to give up their animals for a whole host of reasons. 

We are seeing a lot of dogs with similar issues such as separation anxiety and reactivity. Some of this stems from lack of socialisation and exposure to the environment during lock down. 

Owners going back to work after a long period of being at home is causing separation anxiety in a lot of dogs which some owners were just not prepared for and cannot cope.

Seeing the neglect cases come in can be tough. It’s hard to think people can let their pets suffer like that.

Some dogs come in to us with extensive health issues and can’t be rehomed because they are suffering. 

This is always tough for the staff, but we just try and make their time with us as nice as possible while we can. Working with animals is so rewarding but not only is the job physically demanding but also emotionally demanding. 

We finish up at 4:30 after giving the dogs their dinner and saying goodnight. In the winter months there’s nothing better than running a hot bath when you get in from work to defrost. 

I’ve often phoned ahead to get the bath pre-run so I can hop right in.

Making time to spend with friends and hang out in the evenings is always a good way to switch off and I’m partial to a pub quiz every now and then.

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