Pets and their People: Shadow and Val

For much of the 13 years of his life, Shadow has accompanied owner Val McCauley.

Pretty much everywhere Val goes, so does Shadow ... living up to his name.

"Shadow has travelled around Australia three times in the caravan with me and my late husband, Trevor" Val said. She now has sole charge of this gorgeous, well behaved Cavalier x Poodle companion dog.

"Shadow and I love our daily walks, especially the beach walks."

A Dalmeny resident, Val and Shadow can be spotted on Bar Beach, Kianga Headland and the Dalmeny walkway, and often with fellow dog-walking buddy and keen photographer Rosy Williams.

Both Val and Rosy are keen supporters and participants of Narooma Dog Training Club (NDTC).

Val originally came to dog training classes with her first dog Wooffa, a rescue from the RSPCA.

Shadow, her second canine pet, is now 'retired' from classes, but not before he reached the pinnacle of Obedience Training, the Black Class!

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Together Val and Shadow have won several trophies and participated in exhibitions for NDTC, showcasing both their Obedience and Agility skills.

Val grew up in the UK, migrating to Australia at the tender age of 23 where she met a lovely Aussie bloke, Trevor, and they married.

As well as travelling, both within Australia and overseas, Val loves bushwalking.

Before retiring to Dalmeny in 1999, Val was a member of the Kur-ing-gai Bushwalking Club and a keen bush regenerator. Her love of the Aussie bush remains strong, and Val is currently a member of the Dalmeny & Narooma Bushwalking Club.

Her super skills in secretarial services has seen Val in interesting work scenarios - supporting the Technical Director of Southcorp for a decade, and even spending time in the Houses of Parliament, Canberra.

Fortunately for NDTC, Val's work skills are still being put to good use. She holds the title of Vice-President and is a familiar face every Saturday at Nata Oval, overseeing the registration/sign-in desk and helping new handlers settle into the dog training program.

Val is a gorgeous lady - kind, unassuming and quietly spoken. NDTC is very fortunate to have her as a member of the hard working volunteer team.

If you are interested in training your dog, please call Carol on 0458 953 281.