Volunteer profile: Susan Quinn, ‘SusieQ’, and Hector

The 1st January 2023 was the first day of the rest of my life.

After 31 years as a hardworking & dedicated Civil Servant, the last 15 of those as a Senior Intelligence Officer, I began my ill-health retirement. My role was high pressured, fast paced & often time critical. I loved my job and worked hard to progress through the ranks. With a talented team around me, we were successful, impactive and with a reputation for delivering results, highly respected by colleagues & partners across the Law Enforcement discipline. My days were long, and the work-life balance scales were definitely off tilt. My partner worked in a similar team with on-call commitment. As a team leader, I was also on-call key holder 24/7 for practical issues as well as operational needs.

We both knew we needed a reason to go home, to ease the work-life imbalance.In 2017, enter Milo, our now 8-year-old working cocker spaniel. I’d not had dogs before, but my partner was surrounded by them growing up, coming from a family of dog lovers, mainly Boxers & St. Bernards. After much research and spending time with our friend’s cocker, we knew it was the breed for us; loyal, athletic, very loving with a little bit crazy, yet small enough to crawl on your knee for cuddles and lots of snuggles (spaniels definitely have no concept of personal space)!

Flexible working had its advantages, and between us, we adapted to dog ownership pretty smoothly. After 2 fun-filled years of enjoying the great outdoors locally and across the UK, with a particular fondness for the Scottish Highlands, we loved being doggy parents and wondered if the time was right to expand our family? Was it? Could we?

Whist browsing the internet, I came across a photograph of a then 6-week-old working cocker spaniel who literally took my breath away. Don’t know why he was different to the hundreds of puppy photos I had seen, but there was something quite special about this little fella, full of mischief and fun. I was hopeful he would still be available, but how could he be? He was gorgeous.

I contacted the Breeder, and the very next day off we went to Lincoln to meet him. It was love at first sight ( he was born on Valentine’s Day), and with a nod to my affection for the Scottish Highlands, and the Laird of Glenboggle from my favourite TV programme ‘Monarch of the Glen,’ Hector it was, and in 2019, he became the latest addition to our family.

And then came COVID; working from home became the norm, and one of the few benefits was that we got to spend much more time with our boys.

Like so many of us, I contracted COVID early on, and that was the start of my ill-health journey, which ultimately led to my early retirement. It was a massive culture shock on every level, and I became a shadow of my former self. I’d lost my confidence, my drive and my purpose. Seeing through the fog, I knew I needed to do something.

Several years ago, when Hector was quite young, I remember picking up a leaflet about volunteer dogs (I don’t recall if it was Wag), but I was interested, and I must have made a mental note to revisit when Hector was old enough. By chance in early 2024, I saw an article introducing Wag and its ongoing call for volunteers. In those early days of recognising that Hector had special qualities, I knew he would be a natural Friendship Dog; I just needed to find some of his confidence to meet and chat with people I didn’t know;  hard to understand considering my professional career.

Wearing my ‘big girl pants,’ I submitted our application and waited with bated breath for word from Wag.

It turned out to be the best response I could have hoped for.

We completed the vetting process, and Hector did me proud at his practical assessments. Shortly after everything was in place, we were matched with our first friend in a care home close to where we live.

From day one, Hector became a local celebrity, greeting anyone who took the time to come and speak to him. With each visit, my nerves lessened and seeing the joy Hector was bringing to the resident’s day made it so very worthwhile.

Just an hour or two a week, restored my confidence, and Hector loved every second.

For almost a year now, we have been visiting Mrs D in her own home. She is 95, widowed many years ago, has limited family, and is an independant, determined lady who has earned the right to be through her years.

From our very first visit, her bond with Hector is clear and gets stronger each time. She is so appreciative and thanks me for taking Hector to visit. Her carers also value our visits and can see how Mrs D’s mood lifts when she spends time with Hector. She adores him, and he knows where he’s going and excitedly runs to greet her on our arrival.

We can all see firsthand, throughout our Wag family, the difference these amazing dogs bring to the lives of so many lonely elderly dog lovers.

What may not be so clear is the lifeline these visits provide to our volunteers. In my case, a purpose, a privilege and a friendship with a fascinating lady who brings just as much joy to me as it does to her.

Thank you, Wag, and long may it continue.