April 2024 is National Pet Month (NPM) which celebrates and raises awareness of responsible pet ownership. Here at Miller Samuel Hill Brown LLP, we have more than our fair share of animal lovers with pets ranging from chickens to horses, with us averaging around one pet per person!
Each year, we like to champion two charities, with one of our charities for 2023 and 2024 being the Glendrick Roost Animal Welfare Centre which is a small charity providing sanctuary for a variety of animals located in Aberfoyle which ensures lifetime care for their residents. None of the animals are rehomed. Many have sad and traumatic histories and several of their dogs have come from shelters abroad. It is a testimony to their amazing work that all the animals are friendly and happy to interact with humans, despite the hand that life had previously dealt them.
We will be continuing to fundraise for Glendrick Roost this year so keep an eye out for our updates. You may also want to learn more about them at www.glendrickroost.org.uk
Meantime, let us introduce you to some of the MSHB animal friends…………
Edward Laverty, our Chief Executive and Head of the Private Client and Residential Property department, has two beloved West Highland Terriers.
"My two dogs are West Highland white terriers.
Harry is nine and was the runt of the litter, so he is very small. He lost an eye about two years ago, and he only has partial sight in the other eye, but because he is so small, everyone thinks he is still a puppy.
Charlie is four and the bigger of the two. He is completely mad and loves causing havoc. They are inseparable and love each other to such an extent that if you take one out without the other, the one left behind howls like a wolf until his pal returns.
Harry loves tangerines, and Charlie loves cheesy puffs and fighting with the bulldog next door."
Nadia Doyle is a paralegal in our Private Client department. In addition to her professional skills, she is also the proud dog parent of a crossbreed she rescued.
"Ozzy is a rescued boy. We adopted him just over two years ago. He is a crossbreed and is around three years old.
He loves to jump into every puddle, stream or river, yet he will not leave the house for a walk (unless desperate) when it's raining…
He is obsessed with horses; when he hears horses on television, he sits straight up and doesn't take his eyes from the screen until they are gone."
Anna Fox is a solicitor in our Dispute Resolution and Litigation department who also happens to be the proud owner of six lovely hens.
"Meet my cracking backgarden hens: Sully, Pickles, Betty, Nugget, Nelly and Penny. We have two Araucana Hybrid hens, which lay blue-shelled eggs, two Copper Maran hens, which lay dark brown-shelled eggs, and two White Leghorn hens, which lay white-shelled eggs. We got them from a local farm in September 2023, and they have been laying egg-cellently since November 2023! They lay one egg each per day.
You can follow the adventures of the gang as they 'yolk' around on Instagram: @balmahens."
