RSPCA ACT's resident dog whisperer is 'happiest employee'

Many of the dogs that come into our shelter have a reason to not trust. Maybe they have been abused, abandoned or neglected. It’s Shari’s job to try to help them regain confidence in people and the world around them so that we can re-home them as quickly as possible.

After a long time in the public service, she was looking for something more, and had been dabbling on weekends as a contractor for our Dog Training School for years. Finally, she was ready for a full transition.

Shari always wanted to work with animals and to have a high level of job satisfaction. 

“I knew that the RSPCA would be a constantly changing and challenging place to work,” she said. “After sitting at a desk for 28 years I had a desire for fresh air and needed to swap high heels for work boots!”

Shari is passionate about the job and explained that while there were many elements of working in the public service that she enjoyed, she cannot remember being as enthralled by the work or as devoted to her responsibilities as she is now.

Today, Shari describes herself as our ‘happiest employee’. Who wouldn’t be when you get to work with dogs and play with puppies? 

“I now have a real sense of being able to help both animals and people by bringing the two together to form a partnership,” said Shari.

 “I believe in the RSPCA as an organisation. People often say to me ‘I couldn’t work there – it must be so difficult and sad’. They couldn’t be more wrong.”

We’ll leave you with Shari’s top tip when it comes to canines. Socialise, socialise, socialise – you should take as many opportunities as you can to get your dog out and about and show them all the wonderful things in the world. A happy well-adjusted dog makes for a happy stress-free owner!