CAT AND DOG HOMERS; Charity centre workers just can't help bringing their work back with them...and they've got plenty of pets to show for it.

Byline: Brian McIver

WHEN most people bring some work home for the night, it usually means some documents or files in a briefcase.

For Fiona Greig, Bill Little or Nicki Scott, it means turning their homes into domestic safari parks and manic menageries full of dragons, snakes, miniature ponies, dogs, cats and exotic birds.

They are just some of the animal welfare officers who work for the Scottish SPCA by day but get so attached to the creatures they help rescue, that they end up adopting the animals themselves.

And even though that means turning their houses upside down and spending a small fortune on stabling, lighting, heating and feeding, the dozens of Scottish SPCA men and women all over the country who welcome the animals into their home say the diverse group of pets have all become part of the family.

And as the Scottish SPCA - the country's leading animal welfare organisation - celebrate their annual Scottish Animal Week to raise awareness of their work, the Daily Record spoke to staff who have become zookeepers to some vulnerable creatures.

The organisation have a wide network of officers and inspectors all around Scotland to protect pets and wildlife which have been neglected or mistreated and rescue thousands of ill or injured pets every year.

The rescued animals are cared for in shelters until homes can be found for them with caring members of the public but in some cases, when the pets are unlikely to be selected or have too many health problems, the inspectors themselves will welcome the cute critters into their homes.

And while all the officers who adopt animals are delighted to do so, they warn that they can only ever take a small numbe, and have urged the public to get in touch to help them find caring families for vulnerable pets.

Scottish SPCA chief inspector Fiona Greig works at their Glasgow base but probably spends more time with animals at her home in Gartcosh, Lanarkshire.

The 36-year-old is the owner of two dogs, five snakes and an exotic bearded dragon lizard, a creature normally found in Australia.

It means that Fiona, and her partner Darren, have got used to a very busy and demanding household in the eight years she has spent with the Scottish SPCA.

She said: "A lot of inspectors do end up taking animals home, there's usually one animal or one case when you just fall in love with one of them, and that's you.

"It's not for everyone because you need the space to look after them and it can be a lot of work, and for these kinds of animals, a lot of money is needed to care for them as well, with lighting, heating and feeding.

"My first was Becky, a little boxercross dog. We had been called out to an abandonment call - apparently someone had fled the house - but we looked in the window and I just saw the little boxer dog squashed-up nose and that was it for me.

"I waited to see if her owner would claim her and then I took her home.

"That's been the story for most of them but the other officers know that I like snakes and lizards, so quite often they will have brought them to me after they had been on a case.

"My partner Darren is very good with them and very patient. He always expects me to bring home something new every other night.

"As well as having our animals, I have two spare vivariums so we get a lot of visitors, as I bring home snakes or lizards that need some extra TLC for a short time."

Fiona's menagerie includes Becky, a 6ft dumereils boa constrictor known as Big Snake, a pair of rosy boas called Rosie and Jim, Tia the bull mastiff cross and a pair of royal pythons called Bert and Ernie.

And then there's Clifford the bearded dragon, 14in and spiky, whom Fiona also adores.

While most Scottish SPCA staff don't adopt as many beasts as Fiona, it is common for officers to take the cutest and least-wanted shelter residents home with them.

Some of the other interesting stories of adoption include Hamilton senior inspector Bill Little, who has adopted a cat and dog, as well as an exotic military macaw. The bird chats away to the family all day but has also been known to yell "Bill, help me" out the window, which can sometimes concern the neighbours.

Inspector Janet Proudlock adopted Fly, a rescued dog who was thrown out of a flat window, suffering wounds including a broken leg and punctured lung.

Edinburgh ambulance driver Emma Phillips rescued a Senegal parrot named Frankie and two corn snakes called Grace and Pedro.

In the Borders, manager Debbie Bottomley has rehomed Spud, a dog who was brought up in a stable with no human contact other than being watered and fed. He wet himself whenever a human came near him but is now doing extremely well with Debbie.

Elaine Floyd, based in Inverness, has taken home a diabetic kitten and a cat with a heart problem.

Two of the cutest and most unusual SSPCA adoption cases are Isla and Corrie - mother and daughter miniature Shetland ponies.

The horses, only 30in tall, were adopted by officer Nicki Scott, who keeps them in a field near Dumbarton. Nicki, 36, already owned one of the miniatures and when she heard that the animals had been brought into the Edinburgh base after being neglected, she was desperate to add them to her stable.

She said: "When I found out about the miniature Shetlands coming in, I thought it would be perfect, it was a mother and foal, so I planned to take the foal for company for the pony I already had.

"But Islay, the mare, was in such a bad way that I didn't think anyone was likely to take her and decided to give her a home as well.

"She is a total sweetheart, so friendly. Corrie can be a bit of a grump at times but they are lovely animals and I take them to shows and displays, where kids love them."

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: "Our dedicated inspectors, ambulance drivers and animal rescue and rehoming centre staff care for thousands of animals every year.

"Many have been injured or abused, while others have been neglected or may be sick.

"Naturally, everyone who works for the society is compassionate towards animals and it can, at times, be both a wonderful and heartbreaking job.

"Over the years, our staff have rehomed many rescued animals, ranging from dogs, cats and rabbits, to horses, ponies, ferrets, snakes and exotics.

"I rescued a dog myself, named Lady, who was part of an investigation into dog fighting.

"It's a small number when you compare it with around 8000 animals we rehome and reunite with their owners each year but it's tremendous when we are able to find homes for animals in need ourselves.

"Often these are animals which would have been extremely hard to rehome to the public, though sometimes it's just because some animals have formed an extremely strong bond with our staff while being cared for."

Help for Scots pets

WHILE many Scots inspectors and workers do rehome the animals themselves, the Society relies on public donations to help them care for and find homes for the thousands of animals that come through their doors every year.

The Society is not connected to the RSPCA, which operates in England and Wales, and any money you donate to the RSPCA is spent in England and Wales, while the Scottish SPCA do all their work in Scotland.

Last year, the charity cared for 12,545 animals in Scotland and received 126,260 calls from the public.

Daily Record readers can help by joining the Scottish SPCA on 03000 999 999 or at www.scottishspca.org.

CAPTION(S):

ANIMAL INSTINCT: SPCA's Bill Little RESCUED: Scottish SPCA officer Nicki Scott with a mother and foal duo of miniature Sheltand ponies FULL HOUSE: Fiona Greig has adopted many animals, including two boxer dogs and a bearded dragon called Clifford