Spring 2017 | Issue 12 Spring 2016 | Issue 10 | страница 2

Cover story: Animal Hero Stella
In Jan 2014 Stella was adopted by PC
Claire Todd as a potential drugs dog for
the Tri-Force Police. In March 2014 Stella
started a six week training course which
she passed in just four weeks.

Stella had been so successful while
working for the Gloucestershire Police
she was nominated for an Animal Hero
Award and short listed to the final three.
Stella had to travel to London (her first
time on a train), stay in a posh hotel and
attend the award ceremony. All this took
place on the 21st Oct 2015, just twenty
months after her leaving the kennels at
West Hatch. Stella won the Public Service
Animal of the Year Award which is an
amazing achievement. We are all very
proud of her at the Centre and she is a
real ambassador for all the staffies in
rescue centres.

Well done Claire and Stella!
re Todd

Photo: Clai

Welcome Bel!
We would like to introduce you to our
new manager Dr Bel Deering.
Bel has worked for the RSPCA for 18
years, the last 12 as manager of the
RSPCA Mallydams Wood Wildlife and
Education Centre in East Sussex.
She has a BA and MA in Biological
Sciences from the Magdalen College,
University of Oxford. She has also
completed a PhD at the University
of Brighton looking at the relationship
between people and nature.
Over the years she has worked on a wide
range of animal welfare projects – from
delivering training abroad for RSPCA
International, to setting up the award
winning Hastings Wild Things project
offering prevention and intervention work

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with at-risk young people and families.
Bel is excited to join the fantastic West
Hatch team, helping staff and volunteers
in their work with animals of all species.
Her family and dogs (pictured: Baxter) are
enjoying the move too and have settled in
well to their new life in the West Country.