Debbie has been around animals all her life. It all started with her growing up with her own dogs and spending time with her uncle who was a security and police dog trainer.

Her love for animals didn’t end there though.

Throughout her teens, she kept and bred fancy rats, revisiting this again in later life.

Then came the cats.

Tigger and Smudge appeared on the scene in 1997 and though Smudge unfortunately passed away far too early, Tigger lived to the ripe old age of 19.

Then more dogs.

Jasmine, a beautiful springer spaniel, arrived in 2000. She was joined a few years later by Albi, who came to us due to him being stressed by the owner’s other three dogs. His separation anxiety did lead to some problems (such as doors and walls being eaten) but he and Jasmine were inseparable.

Then came Zack. He was abandoned and had issues. At only a few months old, he had received no training and no socialisation, though Albi, who had previously worked at puppy classes, soon sorted him out. He still needed some heavy duty training though, and he turned into one of the most loyal and loving dogs out there.

They got old though. Albi went first, and then Jasmine at 16. Zack is still going strong, and he and Debbie are now inseparable. 

In 2001, the reptiles arrived.

This started with a pair of bearded dragons, Frank and Robyn, but escalated quickly. Over the following years, there were corn and king snakes, royal pythons, Brazilian rainbow boas, red tailed boas, various tree snakes, sand boas and even a diadem that was apparently “found roaming the streets of Stockport”, not to mention the various geckos, Bosc’s monitors and of course Jubjub, the beautiful five foot green iguana that anyone local to Tottington would most likely remember surveying his domain from the front window of a house on Market Street. There were also appearances from numerous tarantulas, giant African land snails, and even hissing cockroaches.

Many of these reptiles paid visits to local primary schools and summer fairs, and were much loved in the area.

Debbie now lives with a slightly more modest collection; Plissken and Buttercup the boas, a pair of bearded dragons, a leopard gecko, snails, a tarantula and a tank of tropical fish.

Zack’s still going strong, and in 2020 there was another addition to the family; his adoptive sister, Pepper the American Bulldog.