ENJOY & DISCOVER
An adventure to share.
Follow breed clues, handle the props and share a laugh. Discover how the stories connect with the dogs who need a second chance.
Explore talks & learning Read a dog storyTHE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
Work that matters
for people who care.
For the dogs who need us—and those we never forget.
Discover entertaining talks, practical learning and stories inspired by a life with dogs. Ludvig is the heart of this journey; sharing what he taught me keeps his memory close.
If you’ve loved and lost a dog, you may recognise that wish to keep their memory alive. If you simply love dogs, there’s a place for you here, too.
Explore stories & learning Looking for a talk for your group?Richard King Writer and educator · 25 years in rescue · Cornwall
A little about me—and why I’m doing thisA SHARED INTEREST. YOUR OWN STARTING POINT.
There’s more than
one way in.
UNDERSTAND DOGS BETTER
The dog beside you.
Observe behaviour, explore a dog’s history and ask better questions. Discover how understanding the individual can guide everyday care.
Explore dog behaviour Register interest in a Cornwall class
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
A chance to help.
Explore shelter life, compare care decisions and discover what working or volunteering with dogs involves. Start with your interest and build from there.
Explore shelter learning Thinking about working with dogs?01
A BEGINNING
One hundred yards.
One hour.
Telling Ludvig’s story and writing him into CID lets me spend a little time with him again.
I was seventeen when I found Ludvig tied to a gate. He was shivering and frightened. I stopped, sat nearby and spoke softly.
When we finally moved towards the house, we took a few steps, then waited. Those hundred yards took an hour.
He became the first shelter dog I took home. He also gave me a lesson I never forgot: take the time to understand the dog in front of you.
THE PERSON & PURPOSE BEHIND IT
Dogs changed my life.
That’s worth sharing.
Work that matters
for people who care.
I’m Richard King, a writer and educator in St Austell, Cornwall. Over 25 years in dog rescue, I worked in hands-on animal care, rehabilitation, behaviour assessment and centre operations, alongside staff, volunteers and families.
After moving to Cornwall, I trained as a chef at 50. For the past ten years, I’ve cooked in care homes and hospices across the county. My passion for dogs came with me: private clients and training classes continued alongside my life in the kitchen.
Those two worlds meet at Rosewood House, the home of CID: The Canine Investigation Department. Its chef brings a background in dog behaviour to an unexpected mystery, with therapy dog Ludvig and retired detective Edith Mercer beside him.
Ludvig is the heart of all I do in this field. Writing about him lets me return to our life together. He lives on in those pages, in everything he taught me, and in the people who will meet him through his story.
For many of us, a dog is part of the family. Whether you come here for a story, to understand your own dog or to explore rescue work, I hope you find something that stays with you.
Discover what you could learnRESCUE & SHELTER WORK
Where the learning
comes from.
The cases and practical questions in my teaching come from these day-to-day responsibilities.
10 YEARS IN ALL
HULA Animal Sanctuary
Home for Unwanted and Lost Animals · Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
I began as a trainee animal rescue assistant and progressed to Superintendent. My work involved the day-to-day care of dogs, cats, horses, ponies and other animals at the sanctuary, working closely with the veterinary surgeon.
14 YEARS · 2000–2014
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Two years as Head of Rehabilitation at Old Windsor: setting up a specialist rehabilitation department, developing assessment processes and training staff.
Twelve years as Senior Operations Manager at Brands Hatch: responsibility for daily operations, staff and volunteers, work-experience placements, training and budgets.
I also worked as a Behaviour Consultant across London, Old Windsor and Brands Hatch, including the development of assessment methods.
The three Battersea centres
- London
- The urban centre in south-west London, near Battersea Power Station.
- Old Windsor
- The Berkshire centre beside the Thames, between Windsor and Runnymede.
- Brands Hatch
- A quieter Kent setting with fields and woodland, providing space for training and exercise.
The scale of the work
Battersea’s 2013 Annual Review records 5,241 dogs cared for across the organisation that year. During my time in rehabilitation, around 30 dogs a month across the three sites were flagged for deeper assessment.
Annual dog total: Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Annual Review 2013. The monthly assessment figure is an approximate recollection from my memoir.
Working through a case together
In a talk, stories and props help bring the experience into the room. In a workshop, we can pause at a decision: what did we know, what did the dog need, and what could we do next? You can question the evidence and try the thinking for yourself.
Try a short learning case02
CURIOSITY OPENS A DOOR
Come for the dogs.
Leave seeing more.
A surprising story. A clue to handle. A question you hadn’t thought to ask.
That’s where my talks and workshops begin. We follow dogs around the world, explore their working lives, then bring what we discover back to the shelter.
There’s room for laughter, serious thinking and people of every age. You can join in without having a career in mind.
Explore the talks and learning03
THIS IS WHERE CARE BECOMES PRACTICE
Someone has to make
today a better day.
A clean bed. Fresh water. A chance to rest. Something worthwhile to do. Someone who notices a change and passes it on.
These everyday acts are the substance of shelter work. They help us understand a dog’s needs and make considered choices about what happens next.
This work still matters to me. It matters to the staff, volunteers, families and supporters who help dogs find a safer future.
Learn to observe, ask thoughtful questions and choose a useful next step. That might mean caring for your own dog, supporting a shelter or exploring a future in rescue.
Work that matters.
For people who care.
04
A NEW CHAPTER
A second look.
A second chance.
When I met Rocky in 2004, the lessons from Ludvig were still with me. Look carefully. Consider the surroundings. Question what a label might leave out.
What I saw changed my response. Rocky came home with me and shared my life for another twelve years.
That’s the heart of this journey: learning to understand dogs as individuals, and finding something useful we can do for them.
SHARED WITH PERMISSION
In other people’s words.
HAVE WE WORKED TOGETHER?
What has
stayed with you?
If you’ve joined a talk, attended a class or worked with me and your dog, I’d welcome your feedback. What did you find useful? What could be better?
Share your experience