Jim

I am 25 years old, a professional commercial diver and a dog owner for almost ten years. I studied ancient history at Swansea university where I was a keen member of the mountaineering and surfing societies. Being located between the Gower peninsula and the Brecon beacons for 3 years invigorated my passion for the outdoors and I would regularly find an excuse to borrow a dog to go hiking and camping for the weekend.

After I graduated I went to live in Lombok, Indonesia, for six months. Whilst there I participated in lectures to local school children about the importance of sustainable fishing and ecotourism, and was involved in the operation of a turtle hatchery on the island of Gili Meno. This involved collecting and relocating eggs as well as looking after hatchlings for up to a week before they were released. Throughout this period I worked full time as a PADI dive master taking groups of tourists out on to the reef and teaching responsible dive practices.

Following this I was briefly involved in Malaysia with the Riding for the Disabled charity in Kuala Lumpur, teaching less abled children to ride and care for horses. Through this volunteering program I learnt of an opportunity to move to the Northern Territory, Australia, to work on a cattle station. I spent a year doing this job full-time, and worked in close cooperation with both horses and working dogs. Since returning to the UK I have found that these experiences have made me a much more patient and conscientious pet owner and sitter.

I believe my enthusiasm for the outdoors and my experience with dogs in particular would suit the needs of any dog of any ability. I am conscious of varying my walks to keep animals, as well as myself, sufficiently entertained and well exercised and with tails still wagging by the end.