Animal welfare veteran celebrates 50 years with the Scottish SPCA

A veteran of Scotland’s animal welfare sector is marking 50 years of service with the Scottish SPCA this year.

Sharon Comrie, who currently works in the fundraising team for Scotland’s animal welfare charity, first joined the organisation as a 13-year-old volunteer back in 1973. Throughout an illustrious career, Sharon has worked in a number of roles.

These include managing the Scottish SPCA’s centre for Angus, Fife & Tayside, before overseeing the charity’s entire network of centres across Scotland. She moved into a fundraising role in 2020, where her passion and drive helps the charity, which is entirely reliant on public donations, to fund its vital work.

Sharon said: “It is incredible to think that I’ve been with the Scottish SPCA for half a century. Since I joined this amazing organisation, animal welfare in Scotland has come on leaps and bounds and it has been an honour to be a part of the organisation at the heart of this for the past 50 years.

“Spending most of my career in our rescue and rehoming centres, there’s no doubt there are times when it has been tough and emotionally challenging. However, I would not change a single day of it. Not many people can say they lead a happy, fulfilled working life for their whole career.”

Sharon has gone above and beyond for thousands of animals throughout her life. One such animal was Paddy the dog. When he arrived at Sharon’s centre, the prognosis was bad. Vets expected Paddy to pass away, and Sharon did not want him to be on his own. For several nights, she slept beside Paddy in his kennel to keep him company. Against the odds, Paddy pulled through and went to a loving home.

Several years later, Sharon was walking down the street in Dundee city centre when she heard a commotion nearby. A dog bounded up to her and began to smother her with kisses. It was Paddy, who remembered her kindness after all that time.

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn, who has worked with Sharon for 35 years, said: “Many people who work for the Scottish SPCA or any animal welfare charity will tell you that it is a vocation, not a job. I cannot think of a single person who sums this up more than Sharon.

“We’ve been lucky to have her, as have the tens of thousands of rescue animals who have benefitted from her love, care and dedication over the past five decades. Sharon is a force of nature, and nothing can come between her and helping an animal in need.”