Where My Love for Animals Began
I'm Anna Simmonds, owner of Bark at the Moon - Training and Behaviour! I was born and raised in Cornwall with a menagerie of animals including cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, hamsters, fish, corn snakes, horses and my beloved Labrador Bess, who has since crossed over the rainbow bridge. I was always fascinated by animals and how they behaved, and I set out to understand them better by undertaking my BSc (Hons) and MRes degrees in Animal Behaviour and Welfare from Hartpury University, where I fell in love with Gloucestershire.
In 2022 I completed the MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour degree from the University of Lincoln with a distinction, a course which enabled me to become a pre-certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (this means I have the required knowledge, I'm just developing my experience before I can become fully accredited). In 2023 I started working at the Cotswolds Dogs and Cats Home as an Animal Care Assistant, where I gained a wealth of experience handling a wide range of breeds and temperaments. I also began taking in foster cats from their cattery, looking after them temporarily while they await their forever home.
Currently, I am undertaking my most exciting venture yet, which is the running of this business! I highly value ethics and welfare in my work, and will never use any methods designed to cause pain or fear in animals. Instead, I use fun and tasty rewards to gradually shape the behaviour I am looking for in a dog or cat, always taking into account the animal's abilities and comfort level. If they are not feeling it that day, I will stop and try again later.
I am fully insured, and am a provisional member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) and a candidate member of the Fellowship for Animal Behaviour Clinicians (FABC). When I am not working, you can find me strolling around the local countryside, curled on the sofa with a good book, or whipping up a batch of brownies in the kitchen.