As well as the better known animal charities, such as the RSPCA and Cats Protection, there are smaller charities and volunteers all over the country helping unwanted pets and wild animals.

We have various contacts at the surgery that will take on injured hedgehogs, birds and wildlife – often with very little funding but with an enormous commitment to helping animals. In fact I was visiting one of my favourite clients this week; they take on unwanted male ducks and give them a wonderful retirement in acres of safe land with a large lake and everything they could ask for – a sort of, paradise retirement home.

Sadly they were saying this week that they have got two particularly feisty ducks at the moment who are proving somewhat problematic – they keep on fighting with the other ducks (on their own they are happy but not with others). I promised them that I would use my column this week to appeal to any of my loyal readers that might fancy re-homing these two chaps – they are great ducks but need to be the sole residents wherever they go!

If you think you might be able to help then do contact me at the surgery.

These clients also asked after Choco, my Border Terrier puppy, as I have not written about him recently; Choco is very well indeed, he is now 18 months old, happy and active (he did a 15 mile run with me the other day!). He wants to be friends with everyone and listens to what I tell him about 80% of the time – which is not bad going for a terrier!