Barking mad? ‘It’s me or the dogs.’ So I divorced my hubby!
Heather Smith decided she’d rather have her furry family around than a man…
They say you can pick your friends, not your family, but that isn’t entirely true for me. I’ve always loved animals, and after getting my first dog I was utterly besotted. I couldn’t stop at just one, and now I have more than 20 huskies!
Playful, beautiful and loving, my beloved pooches are the most important things to me. So when my husband gave me an ultimatum – him or the dogs – I chose my furry family, and I couldn’t be happier or more certain that I made the right decision.
I’d first met my Steve* at a gig in 2005, and we’d fallen head-over-heels in love. We both adored music and, as I was a DJ and he was in a band, we got on famously.
A year later, we married, and to start with we were blissfully happy…
We’d go on day trips to the beach, enjoy meals out and go bowling, and he’d walk my dog, Sasha, with me.
I’d always loved dogs. In fact, I worked at an animal rescue centre, too, and had got Sasha in January 2005 – our bond had been unbreakable from the start.
I soon decided to get her a playmate, Storm, and then Shadow joined us a few months later.
Only, before long, Shadow was looking a little tubbier than normal and, despite having the contraceptive injection, we discovered she was pregnant. Soon, pups Shorty, Spirit, Sanca, Suki and Saint came along.
Life was extremely hectic, but I enjoyed caring for all of the dogs, taking them for really long walks. And their love was unconditional.
Seeing them wag their tails, and the pups wriggling around every morning, made everything worthwhile.
They completely took over our home in Peterborough, and I’d spend up to 16 hours a day caring for them.
But while I cherished every moment, Steve was miffed he wasn’t my top dog.
‘ You spend more time with them than me,’ he grumbled.
It was true, I did. But it wasn’t just me. Neither of us seemed to have any time for the other and, when we were together, we’d end up bickering over the smallest of things.
But my dogs took up too much of my time to worry about my relationship with Steve, especially as things were about to get a whole lot busier…
In January 2013, I was contacted by a colleague about a dog, Athena, who
had a deformed front leg and was due to be put down as her owner couldn’t afford surgery.
I couldn’t bear the thought so, desperate, I turned to Facebook and posted a photo of her hoping to raise £500 for a life-saving operation.
Within hours, people had donated £800, and I knew Athena would be OK.
She had surgery to amputate her leg, and came home to recover with me.
I posted pictures of her progress online, so everyone who’d helped could see how far she’d come.
That only opened the door further, and I got more dogs coming to me for assistance, much to Steve’s disgust.
‘Any more than 20, and I’m leaving you,’ he huffed as I came home with my 15th dog, Tovik. I knew he didn’t like vying for my attention, but these dogs needed me. And so, later that month, inspired by Athena, I decided to set up my own rescue charity called Saint Sled Dog Rescue. It quickly took over my life. By March that year, I’d amassed 24 pooches. ‘That’s it,’ Steve said. ‘I said I’d leave you when you got to 20!’ Of course, it wasn’t just about the huskies: we had other problems, too, and I realised that I did care about the animals more than him, so separating was the right decision for both of us.
Thankfully, the charity has gone from strength to strength. We’ve re-homed 400 dogs and have 30 staff, as well as hundreds of volunteers across the country that help with foster care, home checks and transporting pets to their new families.
And best of all, living alone means I can have as many dogs in my home as I want.
My current count is 26; they’re made up of Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes and an adorable 16-week old Belgian malinois puppy.
Not many people want to date someone with so many dogs, but my four-legged friends will always come first.
A few blokes have thought they could handle it but, after a few dates, they’ve all quickly changed their minds!
People think I’m crazy, but I adore my dogs. I walk over 600 miles a month with them – it’s a great way to keep fit – and I can’t take more than four out at a time, because they’re so strong!
They’ve each got their own personality, too, but there are risks. If I’m in the woods and one of them sees a squirrel, I have to grab on to the nearest tree and hang on for dear life! But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Now, at 41, I’ve often thought about having children, and maybe in time I’ll adopt, but for now I’m happy with my hounds.
I hope to eventually open my own boarding kennels and use the income to pay for separate rescue kennels. That way, I’ll be able to help more dogs. Long-term, I’d love to set up Husky World, where people can meet the dogs and learn more about the breed, as well as opening an education centre for schools and groups of children to visit.
It’s vital to educate kids that dogs aren’t disposable. It’ll save so many breeds from being abandoned in the future.
I may have made a dog’s dinner of my romantic relationship, but at least I have my puppies.
And, hopefully, I can continue making a difference.
Heather Smith is crowdfunding, and hopes to raise £100,000 as a deposit for a bigger property with land to extend the Saint Sled Dog Rescue. To help, visit gofundme.com/236g4d8