IF ANDY?TAYLOR had followed his dream, today he would be a veterinarian.A
nd chances are he would be one of the best, given his love and passion for animals, especially dogs.
Andy is a chef, his second choice as a career, but the 25-year-old quickly acknowledges that if he had to live his life all over again, he would opt to become a vet.
Speaking to EASY MAGAZINE, Andy said he would have had to travel overseas to study to be a vet, but he didn’t want to make that sacrifice at the time.
“I used to get homesick, so I didn’t want to go overseas. So that’s where the chef came in. If I had to change it now, I would do it differently,” he admits.
Andy, though, is still working very closely with animals.
He is a dog-handler and can be seen at the dog shows, displaying his canine friends. This is a hobby. “It’s fun and I enjoy it,” he said.
Recently, Andy took part inthe All Breeds Championship Dog Show held at the Barbados Kennel Club in Waterford Woods, St Michael.
He was in the ring, handling the dogs of others.
But his treasured moment came when he showed his most recent pal Eric, the nine-month-old Japanese Shiba Inu who won Best in Show.
In the show, judged by Albert Wight of Britain, a number of eye-catching canines competed for top spot in various breeds and classes.
“I was really excited when Eric was named Best in Show because I had never won before,” Andy commented. “I had won Best Locally Bred In Show before and Best Locally Bred Puppy In Show, but this was a first.”
Eric is one of a kind in Barbados. Andy said that two years ago when he travelled to England he met the breeder of the Shiba Inu and immediately expressed an interest in owning one.
“I like this breed. Akitas are my first love and the Japanese Shiba Inu is like an Akita, just smaller,” he said.
It took Andy about two months to get the paperwork cleared for Eric to travel to Barbados.
When he finally reached these shores, it was a match made in heaven for these two.
Eric joined the pack, with six more, including a Dogue de Bordeaux, Akitas and a Jack Russell.
The baby of the group sleeps inside but links up with the others during the day, having the run of the yard of Andy’s home in St James.
Having a house full of animals is nothing new to Andy. As a boy, it was the norm for him to pick up strays and bring them home.
His father, with whom he lives, never really had a problem with this as long as one rule was observed – Andy had to feed and take care of the animals.
To this day, Andy follows this rule. He spares no effort or money in taking care of his dogs – Kane, Taboo, Misty, Peaches, Ruby, Stich and Eric.
“I make sure and take them on walks every day. If they don’t go on mornings, I take them on evening,” he reported.
“The puppies are fed twice during the day and the adults are fed once a day. I also make sure there is play time as well. It is important to have quality time with the dogs,” he said.
While Andy takes good care of his animals, he knows that not everyone pays as much attention to pets.
For Andy, there is no doubt that dogs are man’s best friend and his hope is that others realize this and try to provide the best care for their animals.
