As young as I can remember I was animal obsessed and really wanted a pet of my own. At seven years old my parents gave in, and brought me Bob the ginger guinea pig.

To my family’s delight, I did not become bored of my new pet. Bob was a life and he needed me. I would spend my time after school not only performing hutch cleaning but researching how to better the life of my new guinea pig.

As I matured I realised that I was not providing the best life for Bob. He was living alone and in a small hutch both of which not meeting his needs. By the end of his life, he was bonded with another guinea pig and lived in a converted playhouse.

I learnt from a young age how important it is to constantly strive for better when it comes to pets.

Dogs, just like guinea pigs, had me captivated, but in a different way. I was fascinated by the strong bond that can be grown between people and dogs. So at 18 I decided to foster dogs, one at a time, for our local animal rescue.

One dog I learnt the most from was Gem. Gem’s history was a little foggy but we did know she had three legs and was only young. The majority of the fosters before Gem would enjoy walks pretty soon after coming to us, but not this lady.

Gem was showing body language that indicated she was afraid, particularly when outside the home on walks. So I listened to her, adapted in the moment, and decided let’s change tactic, let’s learn about each other first.

We didn’t go for walks, of course we ensured her physical needs were met but we focused on building trust first and foremost. This was when I started seeing her quirky personality start to come out. I mean who knew a dog with one front leg could dig?!

Only when the trust was at a high did we work on ensuring her walks were amazing and tailored to her.

At the time of Gem being ready to find her forever home, I was a little lost.

I knew I wanted a career with animals. I had previously tried being an assistant veterinary nurse, working in a dog groomers and volunteering at a canine hydrotherapy centre but I knew these were not the careers for me.

I even took my passion for animal care with me to University and graduated with a First Class Degree in Animal Welfare.

This theoretical and practical experience helped me realise that perhaps I needed to create my own animal career.

In 2023 I started my business Welfare First Pet Care with the aim of supporting dogs one to one with welfare- led walkies.

This business had dogs like Gem in mind, those dogs that needed a compassionate individual to adapt to them. If walks were not suitable then we would find alternative services to suit their needs such as enrichment visits.

The business grew steadily, and I have met the best dogs and dog owners in Rayleigh, I will forever be grateful.

Welfare First Pet Care was quickly becoming more than supporting dogs. It was services shaped by client needs too. You too are unique and have a story to tell.

I remembered what brought me the initial fascination to dogs; their relationship with people. I became a qualified dog trainer and I believe the foundation to a well trained dog is mutual understanding both ends of the lead.

In 2026 I rebranded to Higgs & Hound to incorporate more owner focused services. I now offer walks with owners and puppy training all whilst still putting welfare first.

That’s my story, I look forward to hearing yours.

Kindest, Alice Higgs