More than just a welly: How Rockfish transformed the workday at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary

Working outside with animals is never as easy as it looks – especially when you’re also battling the cold winter weather!

At the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, a rescue haven for seal pups and resident seals that can no longer live in the wild, the animal care team often faces working in wet and freezing conditions, which means high-quality outdoor wear is an absolute must.

And that’s especially true when it comes to footwear; after all, if you’ve ever had cold, wet feet all day, you’ll know how miserably uncomfortable the rest of you will be, too. This is even harder to avoid when you spend your day working with marine animals.

Luckily, following years of bad wellies and freezing feet, this is where the team at ROCKFISH swooped in to help.

After a desperate call from the carers at the sanctuary, they donated 12 pairs of ‘Groundhog’ wellies to the charity to help the team stay comfortable, dry and warm, no matter the weather.

And it’s no stretch to say these sustainable, natural rubber wellies have transformed their working day, which means they can carry on doing the amazing work they do, without freezing their toes!

Now, ROCKFISH has become a long-term partner of the sanctuary, pledging to provide new wellies to the animal care team every year. Director Jules Aldred, meets Polly & Elliot during an enrichment session with the seal.

Animal behaviourist Polly Frier says it’s a partnership which has transformed daily life for the team;

“We’re absolutely thrilled about our partnership with ROCKFISH. The Groundhog wellies have made a huge difference to my day. Keeping my feet warm and protected really makes all the difference when you’re out in the cold for hours on end!”

Following the donation, Polly and her colleagues were so excited about the amazing quality of the boots, and the generosity of the ROCKFISH team, that they even named one of the rescued seal pups after the Cornwall-based business.

The poorly pup faced a quick stint in the hospital, followed by a few months in the rehabilitation pool, before being released back into the sea earlier this year.

Polly added, "The Groundhog wellies go a long way to helping us do our job properly, ensuring pups like Rockfish are nursed back to a healthy condition so they can go back into the wild. “The boots look incredibly smart, too, whilst also being comfortable and functional with the work that we do."

 To find out more about the Cornish Seal Sanctuary and the work they do, click here.

ROCKFISH Wellies has a range of wellington boots for all seasons, including shorter three-quarter boots, ankle wellingtons, and everyday wellington boots. ROCKFISH also has a choice of trainers and sneakers, perfect for the spring and summer!