Our Team of Clinical Animal Behaviourists
Under the oversight of our Veterinary Behaviourists, our team of Clinical Animal Behaviourists are experts in different companion animal species, including dogs, cats and parrots. Whether furry or feathery, the animal behaviour experts at Second Nature Behaviour provide pet behaviour counselling services to help owners of pets with a range of behaviour problems and training issues. Our team consists of dog behaviourists, cat behaviourists, parrot behaviourists and dog trainers, who serve the West Midlands regions, including Birmingham, Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and surrounding areas.
All of our animal behaviourists and dog trainers are highly qualified and experienced, advocating for ethical, evidence and reward-based training methods. We are fully insured and follow a strict code of conduct. Our pet behaviourists are independently accredited Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourists (CCABs), or are working towards this accreditation. Find out more about our team of animal behaviourists and dog trainers below.
Veterinary Behaviourists
Hannah Dawes, BVetMed PGDip MRCVS
Veterinary Behaviourist, Clinical Lead
Hannah is a Veterinary Surgeon who graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2008 and has worked in companion animal general practice ever since. She works part-time at a veterinary surgery in Stourbridge. She has a General Practitioner certificate in Small Animal Medicine and a postgraduate diploma in clinical animal behaviour from the University of Edinburgh.
Hannah is passionate about improving pets’ mental health, as well as their physical health, and is particularly interested in the effect of medical conditions on behaviour. She is an active Candidate Member of the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians. When she is not helping other people with their pets, she is looking after her own dog, “Noodle”.
Emma Baker, BVetMed MSc MRCVS
Veterinary Behaviourist
Emma graduated from the RVC in 2005 and worked in mixed practice for 5 years. She spent the next 7 years at the PDSA where she developed an interest in surgery, but also studied for her MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour. Emma is now working in a first-opinion small animal hospital, and as part of her role, she sees behaviour cases for the hospital, as well as for Second Nature Behaviour.
Emma is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Companion Animal Behaviour. She is currently gaining the necessary case portfolio to apply for her CCAB accreditation in dogs.
Lynne Taylor, MA (Oxon) MA VetMB CCAB MRCVS
Veterinary Behaviourist
Lynne worked as a vet in small animal practice for many years. Most of this time was spent at the PDSA animal charity hospital in Southampton. She retired from general practice in 2019 to focus on her behaviour work. She now runs her own practice in Hampshire and supports Second Nature canine and feline cases remotely.
Lynne is independently accredited as a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) for dogs and keen to help others on the journey towards accreditation. She is passionate about the use of reward-based methods in animal training and is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CPA). She is proud to be a Certified Member and Director of FAB Clinicians, contributing to the work of the Fellowship largely through the mentoring and veterinary sub-committees.
Lynne and her husband run a small-holding in the New Forest where they keep Soay sheep, a couple of cows and some chickens. They also have a very independent cat and a lurcher-type dog.
Clinical Animal Behaviourists
Zoe Demery, PhD CPsychol ABTC-CAB CCAB
Clinical Animal Behaviourist, Practice Manager
Growing up among a menagerie of animals made Zoe fascinated with working out what makes animals tick. This culminated in her doctorate at the University of Birmingham in animal cognition and behaviour. She was particularly interested in how parrots learn about the world around them and applied her work to various species.
Since then, Zoe has been keen to put her findings and experience to practical use by helping both animals and the people they live with understand each other better. Zoe founded Second Nature Behaviour in 2015 to more effectively support companion animals and their caregivers in and around Birmingham. Zoe is actively involved with organisations expanding the field of clinical animal behaviour. She is moreover passionate about mentoring colleagues, educating veterinary staff and advising local rescues.
Zoe lectures on exotic pet behaviour to veterinary nursing and animal behaviour students. She published, taught and given talks on how different animals think through a wide range of media, in the UK and abroad. Zoe helped to grow a pet behaviour counselling business into a non-profit social enterprise, benefitting communities in Shropshire. Previously, she gained a first-class joint honours BSc degree in Psychology and Zoology at the University of Bristol. Zoe has worked with a range of animals in a variety of environments – from radio-tracking Spectacled Bears through the Andes, to working out the emotions of lab rats, to training dogs for rehabilitation at the RSPCA in Hong Kong.
Zoe is a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) in dogs, cats and parrots, independently accredited by CCAB Certification (formally the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Accreditation Committee). Zoe is proud to be a Certificated Member of the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians and supports the FAB Clinicians Board of Directors. She is a registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) in the UK and a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society. Zoe loves to help animals from around the globe – she is a Certified Animal Behaviour Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (CABC, certified to work with parrots, cats and dogs). She is very happy to be recognised as an Allied Professional Member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians.
Zoe is herself currently looked after by a Jack Russell-cross, a bearded dragon and two parakeets. Zoe is based in Coventry, providing clinical animal behaviour support in Warwickshire, West Midlands, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire.
Megan Richardson, BSc (Hons) ABTC-CAB CCAB
Clinical Animal Behaviourist
Megan has always known that she wanted to work with animals and she has always been fascinated with animal behaviour and training. When she experienced her own dog having behavioural problems she realised that she wanted to pursue a career as an animal behaviourist, so that she could help others with their own animals’ behavioural difficulties.
Megan has worked in a variety of different types of animal collections, especially in boarding and rescue kennels and catteries, along with running dog training classes. This experience has brought about a passion for animal welfare as well as for behavioural rehabilitation.
Megan graduated from Harper Adams University with a first class BSc (Hons) degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, then grew her clinical behaviour practice with dogs and cats. She has many years of experience and is an independently accredited Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB). Megan is an active member of various organisations, including FAB Clinicians, APBC and PACT. Last but not least Megan is registered as a CAB and ATI with the ABTC.
Megan is a cat and dog behaviourist based in Staffordshire. Megan provides clinical animal behaviour services in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Shropshire.
Keely Needham, BSc (Hons) CCAB
Clinical Animal Behaviourist
With a deep passion for animal welfare, Keely has over 15 years of experience working with companion animals, during which time she developed a special interest in their behaviours and interactions. It was a chance meeting with a Clinical Animal Behaviourist many years ago, and a better understanding of the role that led her to pursue it as a career.
Keely graduated from Harper Adams University in 2021 with a first class honours degree in Clinical Animal Behaviour and Welfare. She is a Certificated Member of the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians, and works part-time as a behaviourist for a large animal welfare organisation. Keely has independent CCAB accreditation in dogs and is currently working towards her independent feline accreditation.
Keely has a wealth of experience working with dogs of all breeds and backgrounds and has a passion for understanding the complex needs of troubled dogs and enhancing the bonds with their care-givers and owners. Keely primarily provides clinical canine behaviour services in Shropshire and the West Midlands
Victoria Stockley, BSc (Hons) MSc ABTC-CAB
Clinical Animal Behaviourist
Victoria is one of our Clinical Animal Behaviourists for cats and dogs. Victoria has a BSc (Hons) and an MSc (merit) in Clinical Animal Behaviour from the University of Lincoln. Her published thesis investigated how handling affects bearded dragons’ behaviour. Victoria is experienced in training dogs, cats and horses and worked as a veterinary nurse for several years before pursuing clinical behaviour practice.
Victoria has a particular interest in cat behaviour began when, at age 11, she adopted her first (feral) kitten (with adult help!). It was obvious from the start that Magic was a different cat, and she taught Victoria how much patience and understanding cats need. Victoria is currently the loyal servant to a cat named Twinkle, an incredibly personable cat with special medical needs.
Victoria is moreover looked after by two wee dogs, Poppy and Dora. Victoria has completed the Advanced Certificate in Dog Training Instruction from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and she is a registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist with the ABTC in dogs and cats. She is a Candidate Member of the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians and is currently working towards independent CCAB accreditation. She is a Full CAB Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors.
Supporting Team
Rachel Swift
Administrator
Rachel is a student at Harper Adams University studying BSc (Hons) Clinical Animal Behaviour and Welfare, a CCAB-validated course. She is currently completing her placement year with Second Nature Behaviour for the third year of her degree.
After attending Hartpury College and studying a Level 3 Diploma in Animal Science, where she obtained a triple distinction*, she became interested in human-animal interaction and evidence-based practices. Having completed various work experiences including hydrotherapy centres, veterinary practices, and independently handling over 70 species (exotics, reptiles, livestock, companion and aquatics) at Hartpury, she hopes to further expand her handling expertise in canine companions at Second Nature Behaviour.
Ella Kus
Administrator
Ella is a student at Harper Adams University studying BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare, a CCAB-validated course. She is currently doing a placement with Second Nature Behaviour for the third year of her degree. After studying A-Level psychology, she knew she wanted to become an animal behaviourist.
Ella has always been around animals. She has had pet dogs and hamsters and currently has a Jackhuahua. She has also briefly worked with horses and zoo animals. When she didn’t have pets, her family looked after dogs for friends and family, and in recent years, she has been looking after a friend’s rescue cat who had been traumatised by his previous experiences. Ella has loved seeing him improve and become more confident.
Ella is really enjoying her placement with Second Nature so far and looks forward to learning and gaining more experience in behaviour consultations.
Leesa Owen
Administrator
Leesa is a mature student studying the CCAB validated course, BSc (Hons) Clinical Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Harper Adams University. She is about to embark on her third, placement year with Second Nature.
Leesa has always had dogs, but it was when she had her first Irish Water Spaniel, who was very challenging, that she realised more help was needed and that the usual methods were not working. It was when she started training with Clicker Gundog and Pet Dog Owners Group, both using positive reinforcement methods only, that her thirst for knowledge was truly ignited. This culminated in being invited to be an instructor at Pet Dog Owners Group in 2016 where she still instructs. You can also find her instructing at Warley and District Dog Training club. She is an examiner for the Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels and is qualified to teach UK Scent Work Level 1. She is also a Provisional Animal Behaviour Technician with the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors.
In her spare time, she enjoys Gundog Training (only positively of course!) and has successfully bred and reared a litter of twelve Irish Water Spaniels. Outside of the dog world Leesa practices yoga and reading…about dogs, it’s always about dogs!
