Tributes paid to much-loved RSPCA rescuer whose love of animals meant she was never off duty

Mother-of-five Sonia Hulme (50), of Stockport, passed away on October 15 after a short illness relating to cancer she had three years ago. Sonia worked as a frontline animal rescue officer for the animal welfare charity for 20 years and will be laid to rest in the RSPCA uniform she proudly wore.

She will be remembered by her colleagues and everyone who knew her for spending many hours rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife after her day job had finished - such was her passion for animals.

Sonia had served as an RSPCA officer in the Greater Manchester area for the past eight years and was well-known in the area. She had previously spent 12 years working with officers in Merseyside and Cheshire.

She started her career at the RSPCA working to help rehabilitate rescued animals at the charity’s Stockport Branch, which inspired Sonia’s desire to move into frontline rescue work.

Over her career she helped save the lives of thousands of animals - with a particular passion for wildlife and especially swans. She also assisted hundreds of people who needed help and advice in caring for their pets.

In her spare time she was also an Animal Rescue Volunteer for the RSPCA and so effectively was never off duty - such was her passion and determination to make a difference to animal welfare. Even out-of-hours she would be involved in rescues with family members.

Sonia was well-known in her local community and residents would sometimes bring injured wildlife to her door - even when she was in bed.

She even set up a temporary wildlife refuge in the garage of her family home so she could care for injured wildlife until they could be transported to the RSPCA’s specialist Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich, Cheshire.

During the busy spring and summer months it would be common for Sonia to care for hundreds of animals - including ducklings, fox cubs, goslings, swans, geese, hedgehogs and even mice.

She sometimes hand-reared them with her children’s help after clocking off from her busy day job.

In an interview about her work, Sonia said: “You never know what you might get from one evening to the next. Sometimes we have baby mice that need hand-rearing so we have to use a little brush dipped in kitten milk to feed them.

“We also get various birds brought in - some are so small it is hard to tell what species of bird they are. But we have had a large variety, from a blackcap, to magasiner to ducklings - a lot of ducklings!

“Some baby birds need hand-rearing using a small syringe - other birds may need tube feeding. So we have to get up at first light to feed them and I have trained helpers who can feed them while I am working. For older birds we sometimes have to dig the garden to get worms for them.”

In recognition of her dedication and passion to wildlife, all 22 of the RSPCA’s self-funded branches in the North West have announced they will set up a fund in her name.

The ‘Sonia Hulme Wildlife Fund’ will be established with £15,000 and will allow local RSPCA branches to apply for funding to support the rehabilitation and rescue of wildlife in their own communities.

Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre which took in wildlife Sonia had rescued, paid tribute to her “inspirational” work.

He said: “Sonia was a larger-than-life character with an extraordinary passion for wildlife. She wasn’t just passionate about animals, she was absolutely mad about them!

“The Stapeley team could always count on Sonia, often giving up her own time to help animals in need. And in return, we would always do our best to squeeze something into the hospital for her - we could not say no!

“Sonia was an inspiration to our team and her colleagues in the inspectorate, and her dedication to animal welfare was truly admirable. Her loss will be deeply felt by her family and friends, the RSPCA, our team and, of course, the countless animals whose lives she touched.

“She leaves a lasting legacy, and her passion, kindness and commitment to animals will never be forgotten.”

RSPCA Chief Inspector Nina Small, who is in charge of the Greater Manchester inspectorate group, said: “Sonia's dedication and compassion to help all kinds of wildlife and inspire those around her to do the same was remarkable. She was tenacious and deeply determined to make a difference to animals, supporting her colleagues with her wealth of knowledge and advice. Regardless of whether it was convenient, Sonia always made time to help an animal in need.

“Quick-witted and brave, she was not afraid to speak up when she felt it mattered. She was such a unique individual and will be missed by so many.”

Sonia was such a passionate charity supporter that even when she was being cared for at Moya Cole Hospice she wanted to raise money to say thank you and to help them continue their vital work. Her GoFundMe page has already raised almost £3,000.

She worked closely with other animal charities such as Kirklees Valley Wildlife Rescue in Bury, Cats Protection and The British Trust for Ornithology.

She also loved her five collie dogs and was involved in taking them to flyball competitions, even appearing on BBC Breakfast showcasing the work of the RSPCA and her flyball dog champion called ‘Wonderpants’ (see clip here). She also appeared in a documentary on Quest Red called ‘Saving Britain’s Wildlife’.

Sonia leaves behind five children Bethany (30), Aidan (29), Connor (24), Erin (14) and Finley (12). She also has two grandchildren Grace (7) and Maisie (5). Her funeral will be held on Monday, November 9 at Rowans Chapel in Stockport Crematorium.

She will be laid to rest in her RSPCA uniform and her colleagues and friends will be pallbearers. The family have asked for no flowers, but donations will be requested for local wildlife and children’s charities yet to be decided.