Castleford canine wellness consultant nominated for Animal Star Award

Yasmin (Yaz) Porritt, owner of Castleford-based Yorkshire Pooches – was nominated for the Animal Therapist of the Year award by a customer.

After a desire to spend more time with her dogs lead her to swap a corporate job for dog walking in 2017, Yaz trained in – among other things – canine Merishia massage, biomechanics, reflexology and neurophysiology, allowing her to establish her successful Castleford clinic where dog owners travel from far and wide to seek her expertise on managing their pet’s pain.

Despite being a nation of dog lovers, Yaz said we are missing a crucial point with regards to their pain. Yaz said she is on a mission to “get people to recognise that canine pain is more than just a yelp and a limp”.

She added: “80 per cent of changes in behaviour can be attributed back to pain. There are so many dogs in silent pain.

“I feel like I have found my life's calling: to advocate for them, to help better manage their pain.

“Every dog deserves to live a life pain free – pain is something that we should be looking at.”

The ASAs will be held on November 9 in Nottingham. They were established in 2016 to give recognition to extraordinary work done within the animal industry.

Once nominated, candidates go through to be judged by a panel before reaching the finals within their respective category. This year marks the third time Yaz has been nominated.

Aside from running her Castleford clinic, Yaz works internationally conducting online gait analysis consultations in the United States and Middle East.

This involves observing the movement of dogs in their own home, allowing Yaz to identify possible mobility issues that may not present in a vet’s surgery, as dogs often behave abnormally in such environments due to aggression or anxiety.

Yaz said: “I am so passionate about canine pain management, I love my job.

“To get that recognition would be so incredibly humbling and getting the word out there about canine pain management.”

In the event that she wins the award, Yaz added: “It's dedicated to every single dog that has ever trotted into my clinic.”