Dog lover celebrates 25-years of rehoming in Newbury

Jenny Hopkins, aged 43, of East Woodhay, is celebrating 25 years at Dogs Trust Newbury, Hamstead Marshall.
Ms Hopkins joined the Dogs Trust straight from school after her mother, a professional dog groomer, used to take her to work after school, and she hasn’t looked back since.
She said: “You get hooked.
“Staff here come in on Christmas Day – you have to want to do it. We are not here for the money, we are here for the dogs.
“I have had dogs all my life – I don't know any different and I’m not sure I would want to.”
Some of the main differences she saw between the Dogs Trust when she started and now was the speed at which situations changed.
“Before we didn’t have the phone, email or the website so we are now approached from all angles,” she said.
“People’s lives are also so manic now that if they want us to take the dog, they want us to take it now. The demand is just horrendous compared to years ago.”
Some of her favourite and most remembered dogs are ones that took extra effort to get them into the centre and rehomed, including dogs that were abandoned near Newbury College, at Chieveley services and a lurcher which suffered a broken leg after being run over by a lorry at Membury, who they discovered was pregnant with 11 puppies.
Ms Hopkins said: “I think I remember them most because they need you more and you know they are going to be happy with a new family.
“It’s like they have gone from rags to riches.”