Christmas with A WAGGLE

One woman devotes the festive season to her four-legged friends

- SERENA SHORES

Christmas morning, like every morning, Kelly Smith is met by up to 70 wagging tails belonging to the residents of Dogs Trust Snetterton, in Norfolk, who are always happy to see her. As the new centre manager, she lives in a bungalow on site, ready to care for the dogs when they need it, from new mums and their pups to the golden oldies.

At Christmastime, the centre's staff try to bring the festivities into their daily activities. The dogs often receive presents, kindly donated by the public, and usually get to enjoy a dinner of turkey and roast potatoes.

'Between the ages of 16 and 21, I worked in boarding kennels and enjoyed growing up with rescue dogs," says Kelly, 40. 'My parents never bought a puppy; they loved helping the dogs that were often overlooked, including the older dogs and dogs with challenging  behaviour. I also worked in logistics and office management, which gave me the skills I needed when I joined Snetterton Rehoming Centre 11 years ago.

Whatever the time of year, my son Isaac, six, and wife, also called Kelly, 40, are used to me caring for any dogs who require some extra TLC in a home environment."

Growing up, learning from her grandad, who fed and cared for dogs when he lived in Sri Lanka, the many adoptees at home made a lasting impression on Kelly. They also gave her insight into one of her most important roles, helping the 30 dogs at a time, who are ready for rehoming, find their 'forever home' with the right people.

Kelly adopted two crossbreeds from the centre: a Labrador/husky called Ralph, and what's possibly a Lhasa apso/cocker spaniel called Maggie, who the family fell in love with when they took her home one day to help her with her nerves.