Sam started
her career working in the legal profession both London and Luton,
over a period of 6 years whilst she undertook formal training as a
Legal Executive. However, a love of animals has always simmered away,
so alongside this, she also volunteered for the local RSPCA Branch
in a number of roles including Vice Chairman of the branch committee
and co-ordinator of the newly established cat fostering scheme.
During
this time, it became apparent that animal welfare was definitely Sam’s
main interest and she eventually left the legal profession altogether
and took up paid employment with her local RSPCA Branch managing and
overseeing the running and development of two local shops, which over
the next 5 years were refurbished and expanded into resources for
local RSPCA campaigns and information centres. The role was also to
give her the experience she would later need to run her own small
charity successfully.
During
this time, Sam also embarked upon a BSc in Wildlife Biology and began
some hands on voluntary work with sick and injured foxes in Northamptonshire.
This is where her love for wildlife began in earnest whilst she gained
experience in handling and medicating foxes.
It
became clear, during this time that there were a real lack of resources
for wildlife rehabilitation in the Bedfordshire area. Members of the
public would be advised to take injured animals to vets and these vets
were being left with no choice but to euthanase as no rehabilitative
care was locally available. After speaking to a number of local vets
it was apparent that they would be in support of a local wildlife rehabilitation
service and Sam then spent the next 12 months reasearching every veterinary
book, manual and article on wildlife care and also received training
in the administration of drugs and non-surgical treatments.
In
2004 Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue was born and it is to this, a bespoke
service to meet local wildlife needs that Sam has dedicated her time
and effort ever since.