WORKING IN THE ANIMAL CARE INDUSTRY

Animal Care is a field where interest, aptitude and commitment are often more important than initial entry qualifications. Some experience of animal handling or dog training with your own or other people's pets is often expected and is evidence that you are highly motivated. Some jobs give you the chance of gaining NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications) while in employment.

KENNEL AND CATTERY OWNERS AND MANAGERS

There are no formal qualifications required to purchase and run your own kennel or cattery although you will need a licence from the local authority who may ask that you or your employed staff have some animal care qualification. The capital required to purchase your own kennel is substantial as you are buying accommodation as well as a business.

You will certainly require considerable hands on experience and qualifications to manage a kennel or cattery for someone else whether it a private business or a charity. Apart from animal handling skills all the usual small business expertise is required - in spades! Apart from dealing with concerned and sometimes highly strung customers and the local authority officers (many of whom are woefully short of experience in this field, staff are often young and/or inexperienced. The best are wonderful but the others make life very hard work.

KENNEL WORK

Many kennels board dogs while their owners are on holiday. There are also:

• breeding kennels
• quarantine kennels (though the number of these may decrease after April 2001 when changes to the quarantine laws are introduced)
• racing greyhound kennels
• sanctuary and rescue kennels

Kennel assistants feed, groom, exercise and clean out the dogs. Work starts early and weekends must be covered. In quarantine kennels, especially, you may learn about treating sick and healthy animals by helping the vets with inspections. You don't need academic qualifications, but you must be healthy with lots of stamina. Experience of handling dogs is a big help. On the minus side, the pay is often low but prospects can be good for those that stay in the industry. Young people in their early twenties often have responsible jobs with accommodation provided. Self-employment is also a possible career direction, but you will need considerable financial backing to start your own business.

You could look for local work which includes training, or go as a working pupil to a good breeding or boarding kennels. Ask the Animal Care and Equine National Training Organisation (ACENTO) for advice on courses and training. And look out for adverts in the dog magazines and local press. Your local careers service will know of any training opportunities for young people in your area.

Many agricultural colleges run animal care courses of one, two and even three years. Some are excellent but you must ensure before you begin that the course will give you a wide range of experience in the industry and that it is not all learned at a desk. Employers need people who have good dog handling skills and these are only gained by experience.

GROOMING

Canine groomers work from their own homes, in pet-shops, specialist grooming rooms, show kennels or with vets' practices. They make dogs look their best by shampooing and trimming their coats, cleaning their teeth and clipping nails. They must be good at handling dogs and calming them if they're nervous. Training may be given on the job if you work at a kennels or pet shop, possibly leading to a City and Guilds certificate in dog-grooming run in conjunction with the Pet Care Trust. Private grooming schools advertise in the dog magazines. This is one way of gaining the necessary experience, but do make sure the course leads to a recognised qualification and the centre is accredited by the Pet Care Trust. A list of dog grooming training centres is available from the Trust on receipt of a stamped addressed envelope. It takes determination and practice to make a living as a dog groomer and while finding work with an existing grooming room can be difficult, prospects for self-employment are good for you can set up your own business with very little capital.

WORK WITH THE GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION

The Association has regional training centres at Forfar, Bolton, Exeter, Leamington Spa, Wokingham, Middlesborough and Redbridge, and a breeding centre at Tollgate. All staff need to be very fit, and also good at working with visually-impaired people as well as with the dogs. Experience of paid or voluntary work with animals and/or with adults from various backgrounds will help your chances of employment. There are jobs in office administration and fund-raising as well as the jobs involving regular contact with the dogs. There is always a long waiting list and previous experience is usually essential.

Kennelstaff (preferably with some experience) are recruited from the age of 18, usually with at least GCSE in English or its equivalent, but motivation is as important as academic qualifications. There is an initial six month period of training, followed by further on the job training of up to 18 months, leading to a GDBA City and Guilds qualification.

Guide dog trainers need to be over 18, with GCSEs in English and Maths supported by a science. A full driving licence is required plus evidence of relevant experience with both animals and people. New entrants share an initial two months' preliminary training with kennel staff, followed by another year or so learning training techniques. Once qualified, trainers are responsible for training dogs from the age of one year until they themselves can confidently allow the dog to guide them whilst blindfolded.

Guide dog mobility instructors are responsible for the final stages of training of the dogs, followed by a four-week residential course teaching the visually-impaired person and the guide dog to work successfully together. This training takes place at the Association's centres, but it is followed up by visits to the client's home to monitor their progress.

Applicants for instructor positions need to be over 18 years of age, with five GCSEs or their equivalent, otherwise the requirements are the same as for guide dog trainers. Training involves a three year apprenticeship. There is normally one intake each year of about six apprentices, so competition for places is tough. There are opportunities for further training and promotion to senior and management posts.

WORK WITH HEARING DOGS FOR DEAF PEOPLE

This organisation trains dogs to react to sounds such as an alarm clock, a doorbell or a crying baby and to lead their deaf owner to the source of the sound. This is a much newer and smaller organisation than Guide Dogs for the Blind, but it is expanding rapidly in response to increasing demand. The range of jobs is similar to those with guide dogs.

Applicants are selected on individual merit. All need to have experience of dog behaviour and training and must have a caring and responsible attitude towards both animals and people. Applicants must have clear speech and communication skills. A knowledge of sign language is an advantage, but training will be given at the centre. There are no rigid exam requirements but a good standard of education is expected.

Trainee posts are sometimes residential and the minimum age is 18. A driving licence is necessary (and, really, a car too, because the training centre is off the beaten track).

DOG-TRAINING AND HANDLING IN THE ARMED FORCES

There are opportunities to train dogs and to work as dog-handlers or kennel staff within the Royal Air Force Police, the Military Police and the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. Dogs are used as guard dogs and for tracking and searching. Dog-lovers should remember, however, that their main job in the Armed Forces is military!

DOG-HANDLING IN THE POLICE

You cannot go directly into the police force as a dog-handler but after the two-year probationary period, police constables have the opportunity to specialise to some extent.

DOG-HANDLING IN CUSTOMS AND EXCISE

There are limited opportunities in this Government department and you would need considerable experience of security or similar work with dogs before applying .

SECURITY SERVICES

Large security firms supply dogs with handlers to patrol customers' premises. Dog-handling is usually only a small part of a security officer's duties. The dogs are trained to protect whoever is handling them, but are not usually assigned to one particular security officer.

With some big companies, you may be able to start as a kennel assistant and eventually become a trainer of patrol dogs.

ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETIES

Graduates may find opportunities to research into dog welfare though universities (Southampton and Cambridge) which have post graduate courses in companion animal studies while the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare offers very occasional projects. A recent study examined how the constant noise of barking in kennels affects the dogs' hearing.

A lists of the major animal charities can be obtained from the British Association of Dogs Homes.

DOG WARDENS

Local authorities now have an obligation to deal with any dog problems within their area, including strays (any dog unaccompanied by a human). Duties include picking dogs up, transporting them to kennels or returning them to their owners and informing the owners of their responsibilities. It may be necessary for wardens to enforce the law relating to dogs, and work closely with the police and welfare societies. You would also need to talk to schools and community groups about issues such as dog fouling, so communication skills are important. A dog warden must be able to deal with people and obviously be good with and understand dogs. A driving licence is essential.

Jobs are usually advertised in the local press or through your local authority. This is a job to go to after basic training as most authorities and companies require people of at least 21 to control stray or badly-supervised dogs in their area. They work with police and animal welfare societies as necessary.

VETERINARY SURGEON

You need to be very good at school to become a vet. The six veterinary schools have hundreds of applications every year for just three hundred places. You need three A levels in the sciences, preferable with an A grade in each one. The veterinary schools are not just interested in academic qualifications and those who have worked with animals voluntarily or taken a year out to work in a boarding kennel or rescue centre are much more likely to get an interview.

VETERINARY NURSING

There are always more applicants for veterinary nursing than there are places. You need to have at least five GCSEs at C or above and they must include Maths and at least one other science. An NVQ in animal care at Level 2 counts as one of the GCSEs and you can also enter via a Preliminary Vet Nursing Course which is run by some agricultural colleges. But they still require a good academic record. You are more likely to be taken on at an Approved Training Centre is you have demonstrated a commitment to working with animals. Degree courses that incorporate the Veterinary Nursing qualification have recently been introduced as has an NVQ in Veterinary Nursing.

COURSES

Apart from the training provision mentioned above, you will find various courses in animal care at some colleges of further education, including NVQs at levels 1, 2 and 3, which can also be gained through training whilst working with dogs.

The Animal Care College offers correspondence courses, some to an Open College Network award, on a wide range of topics such as canine and feline psychology, supporting materials for NVQ Levels 1,2 and 3, dog-breeding, training, judging and kennel management.

The Pet Care Trust has a list of grooming training centres who are members of The British Dog Groomers Association.

The College of Animal Welfare holds many short courses on animal care and welfare and has developed a graduate course for veterinary nurses.

USEFUL ADDRESSES

Animal Care College - Ascot House, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7M. Tel: 0 870 730 8433. College of Animal Welfare, Kings Bush Farm, London Rd, Godmanchester, Cambs. 01480 830014

British Association of Dogs' Homes, The Dogs' Home Battersea, 4 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4AA. Tel: 0171 622 6451.

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Hillfields, Burghfield Common, Reading RG7 3YG. Tel: 01189 835555.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People - Training Centre, London Road (A40), Lewknor, Oxfordshire OX9 5RY. Tel: 01844 353898.

The Kennel Club - 1-5 Clarges Street, Piccadilly, London WlY 8AB. Tel: 0171 493 6651/629 5828. Can provide a booklet - A Guide to Careers with Dogs .

National Canine Defence League - 17 Wakley Street, London EClV 7RQ. Tel: 0171 837 0006.

The National Dog Wardens Association - The Secretary (Sue Bell), c/o Tewkesbury Borough Council, Council Offices, Gloucester Road, Tewkesbury GL20 5TT. Tel: 01684 295010.

National Greyhound Racing Club Ltd Licence Department, Twyman House, 16 Bonny Street, London NWl 9QD. Tel: 0171 267 9256. Can provide fact sheets on careers in greyhound racing.

Pet Care Trust/British Dog Groomers' Association - Bedford Business Centre, 170 Mile Road, Bedford MK42 9TW. Tel: 01234 273933.

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (includes veterinary nursing) Belgravia House, 63 Horseferry Road, London SW1X 8QP Tel: 0171 222 2001.

Universities Federation for Animal Welfare The Old School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire AL4 8AN. Tel: 01582 831818. The Federation produces a booklet Careers with Animals, on receipt of stamps to the value of 50p. Further information Kennel addresses can be found in Yellow Pages or other local directories.

Send for a list of quarantine kennels from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at Tolworth.

Vacancies in the animal care industry are advertised in Our Dogs, Dog World, Kennel and Cattery Management and Horse and Hound.

For work with greyhounds, contact the National Greyhound Racing Club. Ask at your local careers centre about job and training opportunities for young people or at the Jobcentre for adults.

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The Animal Care College will take immediate legal action against any infringement of copyright brought to its attention

The Animal Care College
Ascot House,
High Street, Ascot,
Berkshire SL5 7HG
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1344 628269
Fax:+44 (0)1344 622771
E-mail: acc@rtc-mail.org.uk

© Animal Care Trust 2007
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