Aug
So You Want to be a Dog Warden?
Neil Burton has been a dog warden employed by the New Forest district council for eleven years and is the chairman of the National Dog Warden Association.
The NDWA offers guidance and training for those wishing to become a dog warden and should be the first port of call for anybody interested in embarking on a career as a dog warden. The NDWA believes that control and care are paramount in their line of work, and to this end offer training courses for all dog wardens and advice for people wishing to become a dog warden.
The role of the Dog Warden within society can at times be a much-maligned one. Lots of people, usually dog owners or those who have come into conflict with their Local Authority Dog Warden Service will have a negative opinion of their Dog Warden. The slightest error by a Dog Warden seems destined to never be forgotten, whilst the public can easily ignore the positive effects of promoting responsible dog ownership.[private_Premier]
The actual hands on aspect of working as a Dog Warden can vary from one local authority to the next, although the legislation followed and enforced is basically the same. There are slight variations on legislative matters within the United Kingdom such as in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Local councils have to provide an officer to deal with stray dogs within their area of responsibility in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The job title of this officer can be either Dog Warden, Animal Warden, Dog Control Officer, Animal Welfare Officer and even Community Warden.
The officer may have to deal with other issues apart from stray dogs and these can include enforcement of council dog by-laws, dog fouling, animal boarding licensing, education, prosecutions, dangerous dogs and even dealing with other species.
To be able to carry out the duties of a ‘Dog Warden’, one of the most important qualifications is the ability to actually be able to drive a vehicle, this is helpful when transporting stray dogs to the holding kennels. The ability to deal with the public on the telephone, face-to-face and in confrontational situations is equally important.
The ability to give talks on responsible dog ownership or even what your job entails to schools and other groups is a major asset, one day you may be talking to a handful of people, the next to the whole school, so you need to know your stuff and be confident.
Enforcement work calls for knowledge of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (P.A.C.E) 1984 as on occasion you will be required to attend Court in regard to whatever prosecution you are dealing with. You will need to be able to present and gather evidence in accordance with the P.A.C.E rules.
Animal handling skills and knowledge is essential; some people study at College, have extensive canine knowledge from working with dogs through being a service dog handler, police dog handler or have other dog related experience.
You should also be able to work with other agencies and departments such as the Police and the other emergency services, Social Services, RSPCA, Government departments such as the State Veterinary Service and other animal welfare agencies.
The key thing to remember is that you might only deal with dogs, but at your Council you may actually be the only person who is ever contacted by internal and external organisations for help. You should therefore be totally flexible in regard to what you can actually turn your hand to.
For example, who would deal with stray horses, pigs, cows or birds in your Council? You might be called the Dog Warden, but that does not stop people calling you or telling people to call you!
Vacancies for Dog Warden jobs do occur, but not as frequently as other dog related positions. You should keep an eye on the local press and Local Government publications and employment websites. You should also remember that the job advertised may not actually be called Animal Warden or Dog Warden, please ensure you read between the lines!
There are a number of colleges that advertise Dog Warden courses, they usually last one week and are normally attended by Dog Wardens looking to improve on their current skills, although anybody can attend the course.
The job calls for a combination of common sense and actual related skills; the most important non-vocational skills are flexibility and a sense of humour.
The job is extremely rewarding, one minute you can be laughing, the next crying, but most importantly you are working with and helping dogs and that is what makes it worthwhile.[/private_Premier]
Hi Neil
I would really be interested in this line of work. I am currently working for the police but am becoming a bit disillusioned with the postion i am in. I reside in Shrewsbury in the west mids and would be extemely grateful if you could point me in the right direction to get into this line of work or any other suggestions you see fit.
regards
Bernie
Hi Neil, I live in new milton and the forest has always been a big part of my life mainly due to the horses but have recently decided that I no longer want to work within the the equine industry. I have taken several part-time college courses aimed at canine psycology and have also done a small amount of grooming aswell as a small animal first aid course, on top of this I have also done my animal companion micro chipping so am now a qualified implanter.
In the past i have taken studied a national diploma in animal care. How would i go about making these qualifications and my past experience work for me getting into becoming a warden and are there any further courses you could recomend? many thanks