Anna's Blog

This week Anna is joined by Sarah Hollinshead, Head of Brand & Content at Attest, which is one of the largest consumer SaaS platforms. We’re chatting about a new study that reveals that Brits are still barking mad about dogs. Flying in the face of the soaring cost of living pet parents prioritise their pets and go the extra mile, notably taking the time to shop at their local pet boutique, rather than online.

Friday April 22 was National Beagle Day. Anna marked the day by chatting to John Curtin, one of the leaders of Camp Beagle, who have been camped outside Marshall Bio Resources since last July, protesting their ongoing supply of Beagles for 'aboratory testing'. 

Despite being redundant and unnecessary research, the treatment of the beagles is also cruel, owing to their docile nature.

Campaigning for justice for the Beagle and for true animal welfare that is 'allowed' in the name of science in an institutionalised way- a bit like 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". 

In an uncanny small world, it turns out that Chris' son, Will, is OJ's producer who had booked Anna as a guest. In this episode Anna and Chris catch up post Crufts, chatting about how Chris’s world has gone to the dogs - in a good way of course!  Having been high flying in the world of corporate advertising, he crashed out of the industry, questioning what life should be about. 

This week Anna catches up with old friends at the first live Crufts in two years.

We talk to competitors, exhibitors, experts, sponsors, visitors about their dogs and about what makes the biggest dog show in the world quite so exciting.

This week Anna is joined by Singer-Songwriter, Chris Amoo. Famous for being the lead singer in the band British Soul group, The Real Thing, Chris has always had a passion for dogs, particularly hounds.

His love of Afghan Hounds led him to start competing at dog shows, and to even scoop the highest doggy accolade Best In Show at Crufts in 1987 with his Afghan Hounds called Viscount Grant.

This week Anna is joined by Kerry Taylor, Education Manager, at The Blue Cross talking about the charity’s 125th anniversary.

As a milestone highlighting the work the organisation has achieved across two World Wars and recently through the pandemic.

This week Anna is joined by Rebecca Walters who is chatting about the amended and updated DEFRA guidance notes that accompany The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.

And her course 

The new guidelines were announced on February 1st 2022. As a breeder of Sproodles, Rebecca prides herself on the highest health and welfare standards and ethical breeding of her dogs.

To kick off the New Year Anna is joined by Trainer & Behaviourist, Victoria Stilwell, all the way from Atlanta. With Victoria’s second series of It’s Me Or The Dog being aired, we chat about this and the landmark first series that aired in the UK in 2005.

Victoria explains that the doggy problems are the same as they were in the first series, but more intense as our lives have changed, not least because of the pandemic. If trained dogs are happy dogs, they make for happier pet parents! Victoria champions the term ‘teaching’ over ‘training, and about empowering pet parents with the skills to get the best out of your dog.