Gillian Shippen

Gillian became interested in environmental enrichment when she invited a Rottweiler into her life at a time when the breed where getting a very bad rap from the media in Australia. Determined to ensure her dog (Cole) did not become a nuisance to anyone, she developed ways of keeping Cole entertained. Including the help of her mother and some very good neighbours as well as instigating other techniques, she researched for interactive toys.

As a veterinary nurse, she also went to many behavioural conferences and seminars, thus developing a passion for animal behaviour, canine & feline body language and environmental enrichment. Introducing a clinic newsletter, she would write behavioural and environmental enrichment articles as fillers, not sure if anyone was really interested. To her surprise these articles became firm favourites, with clients asking for more and seeking her personal advice at the clinic. After one week filled with repeating the same advice many times over, she jokingly said “perhaps I should write a book”. Immediately a challenge was placed upon her and she wrote Pets Need A Life Too – a guide to enriching the life of your Pets: series one – Dogs”.