National Pet Day

Since 2006, on April 11th each year National Pet Day takes place and it's the time we celebrate everything that pets bring to our life. Whether it's a walking companion, someone to chat to or a friendly face as you walk through the door, pets offer so much to so many.

Whatever the animal, or animals, you choose as your houseguest, National Pet Day is the ideal opportunity to let them know how much you love them, give them their favourite treat, a new blanket or just an extra-big cuddle. Pets are popular on the socials too, with many of our furry and feathered friends having their own dedicated Instagram accounts, some with thousands of followers!

A recent survey showed that the most commonly owned pet in the UK are dogs, closely followed by cats. With other animal friends including rabbits, indoor birds, hamsters, guinea pigs and tortoises also making the top ten.

Here at ESE Direct we're quite the fan of a pet and so we thought we'd get to know more about them and their quirks!

Meet Dougie the dog. Dougie is a Wauzer (Schnauzer/Westie cross), and the loyal, fluffy companion of our MD Jackie. He loves taking long walks on the North Norfolk Coast and really dislikes bath time! If you're lucky, you might spot little Dougie putting in an appearance in the office.

Next we have George the tabby cat. He belongs to Customer Service Supervisor, Michelle. She describes him as her "eight year old giant baby who loves cuddles and snores!" We won't hold the snoring bit against him.

And here's Charley dog. She's a 3½ year old Staffy/Collie cross. Sadly, she spent the first 18 months of her life caged and as a result is a little claustrophobic. Rehomed with our Customer Service Co-ordinator Chris and his partner for the past 2 years, she is now enjoying having the full run of the house and loves her toy balls. She is full of love and enjoys cuddles and kisses.

Charley is so kind hearted that she even tries to save pebbles from drowning when at the beach or near a river. She pulls them out of the water and moves them as far away from the shore as she can before going back in to save another one. Bless!

Probably a little on the large side to sit on your sofa, Harry the Horse is the beautiful four-legged friend of Sarah our Outbound Sales Co-Ordinator and her Daughter. Harry loves pony nuts and cuddles, (as seen by the lovely big cuddle here).

Bramble is the furry friend of Procurement Manager, Mark. Bramble the tortoiseshell cat is just 18 months old. She likes doing classic cat things like eating and sleeping, hates the rain but enjoys watching television. She also has penchant for tree climbing - rather like her human Dad!

The smallest of our office pets is leopard gecko, Khalessi. Her age is a slight mystery to Tiger our Account Manager as she was adopted. But she tells us the original owner reckons she's around 10 or so years old! She's a very energetic gecko when she wants to be and loves to scamper across our house as if she owns the place and catching the wriggly bugs in her tank; that is when she's not snoozing all day!

Maybe it just isn't practical for you to have a pet of your own, and there's nothing wrong with that. If you enjoy being around animals, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved without owning your own. Check out your local animal shelters as they often need volunteers for things such as dog walking or just a little bit of TLC. Visit your local petting zoo or animal park as visiting helps support them and keep them running. Here in Norwich the Norfolk Greyhound Rescue charity runs regular events at which you can help or support by simply attending.

Happy International Pet Day to all pets and pet owners, we are a nation of animal lovers and long may it continue.