Ever since I was a child, I have always been drawn to cats, dogs and horses, and now in my mid 30’s, that love and passion for animal welfare and their care has continued to grow.

The unconditional love that these animals choose to give us is truly incredible, and I can recall fondly every cat, dog and horse that has been a part of our family, starting with the Labrador’s when I was just a toddler, our first German Shepherd (Carla) when I was 4, the budgie… Pretty Boy, then there was Copper, our long coated Chihuahua that saw me through my teenage years. The horses that I got to share my younger life with are all still remembered, learning to ride on an old horse called Trigger, there was the little black pony called Rebel, Mindy the feisty grey pony, Minty the miniature that pulled the cart and of course Buck, the special Dun pony, and always my favourite.

Adulthood meant the arrival of my own dogs, and my very own first dog, was Max, the incredibly handsome and loving pedigree German Shepherd with the glossy long coat. Max was a loving member of our family for 12 years and it was his struggles through the years with Hip Dysplasia, arthritis and stomach problems that saw me delving into the world of alternative health products and herbal remedies long before it was considered ‘the norm’ for our beloved pets. I can still recall the look on the face of the health shop consultant when I explained I was looking for human grade joint supplements for a dog!

I am a strong believer in high quality joint supplements for dogs and have seen the relief this gave Max over time. I also believe these supplements used in conjunction with vet medicines in his final couple of years gave Max some more quality time with us.

Our current two German Shepherds and our three cats are given Omega 3 oil in their daily diet and my horses are fed a joint supplement daily as a preventative measure.

The enjoyment I get from spending time with my pets is priceless, I have met many wonderful people over the years during the time I was competing in obedience and agility with Max, and while I don’t have the time to take our two GSD’s to agility competitions, they get plenty of exercise and fun racing around our 10 acre property.

My two horses and I compete in showjumping, and once again, ‘hanging out’ with your horses (or dogs) opens a wide world to meeting other friendly, like-minded people. The majority of the dearest friends in my life are people that I have met through my dogs or horses!

I cannot fathom a life without the unconditional love of an animal, from the rambunctious joyful welcome from our dogs when we come home (even if we have only been gone 5 minutes), to the soothing purr of one of our cats curled up with me on the couch, the Conure parrot sleeping peacefully inside my husbands top, or the amazing feeling when over 500 kg’s of big horse chooses to stand quietly and rest their head in your arms… there is no other feeling like being chosen by an animal to be their trusted friend.