Professional help for your pets

April is National Pet Month – a time when animal charities, businesses and other organisations arrange fund-raising events and collectively promote the improved welfare of pets. Here in the UK, pet owners are fortunate to have the back up of plenty of highly skilled professional people to assist them all year round thanks in part to Lantra Sector Skills Council.

Registered veterinary nurse Lisa Jarvis, who is the animal care expert at Lantra, explains: “Animals deserve the very best of care and as they cannot speak and are reliant on people to have sufficient knowledge to ensure they are well cared for and fix any problems that arise. “So Lantra brings together many highly regarded figures from well known animal-related organisations and arranges consultations to ensure all the knowledge and understanding needed by those working in animal care, veterinary nursing or with horses can be expressed and, most importantly, developed into a range of qualifications.” During a pet’s life they are likely to encounter and benefit from the skills of many specialists who have undertaken training designed to equip them with the required skills. Whether it’s a simple trip to the vet for inoculations or life-saving emergency treatment during the night, both pet and owner can be assured of a professional service from dedicated veterinary nurses. Karen Robinson, a Head Veterinary Nurse, speaks highly of the apprenticeships which have allowed the Farthing Veterinary Group to expand. “A lot of people wanting to be veterinary nurses come with a love of animals and are pet-owners – but there is a lot more skill involved than that. To be able to develop this slowly in conjunction with a college course enables students to learn the skills required very thoroughly – everything from cleaning surgical kits, to caring for animals, including spending the time it sometimes takes to persuade them to eat. There is nothing better than seeing a veterinary nurse still in training or just qualified, being able to nurse a patient and see it get better.” When it comes to everyday care there are animal groomers, dog walkers, pet sitters, livery yard grooms and pet shop workers to help out. And come holiday time there are kennels, catteries and other services to ensure your pet is well cared for in your absence. And Heidi Anderton, one the UK’s top groomers works with Lantra to help raise the standards so every cat and dog leaving a grooming salon is turned out to its very best. Heidi herself has achieved the highest UK qualification, the British Dog Groomers Association’s Higher Grooming Diploma. She says, “It requires bags of experience and a lot of time to learn the techniques for different breeds and coat types, understand animal behaviour, and develop good handling skills to tackle the more challenging pets as not every dog or cat immediately takes to being bathed, blow dried, having knots removed or their nails cut.“ And then there’s dog wardens, animal rescue centres and pet behaviour specialists to offer their skills for any pet owner. Annette Chinn, Training Officer for the Dogs Trust, who started with the large welfare organisation as a volunteer, says: “Everyone has training relevant to their job, varying from health and safety, animal behaviour, to risk assessment and how to guide people towards making the right decision on pet ownership. Managers also make the most of the time donated by our invaluable volunteers.“ Lisa Jarvis of Lantra concludes: “If you are thinking about buying a pet, make sure you investigate the animal’s needs, that you can afford its care and possible vet’s bills and consider whether your lifestyle will enable you to be a good pet owner. If you already own a pet, please make sure you fully understand your pet’s needs and ask for professional advice if in doubt.” To find out about fund-raising events in your area or make any donations visit vwww.nationalpetmonth.org.uk or phone 020 8370 3688. If you are interested in learning more about a career that involves working with animals, visit www.lantra.co.uk or phone 0845 707 8007. – ENDS – Issued by: Lantra Press Office. For more information, please contact: Mhairi Aikman, Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator telephone 02476 858 418 or email: media@lantra.co.uk

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