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Animal House People
INTERVIEW WITH Karen Smith, Rugby Dog Warden
At The Animal House we meet interesting people involved in animal care so we
thought we'd take the opportunity to interview them. This keeps us up to date
with what these people do and you can see what we've asked them.
We interviewed the Rugby Dog Warden. Her name is Karen Smith and she lives in the Rugby area. As the Animal Welfare laws changed earlier in 2007 we thought it a good idea to up-date ourselves on the changing role of the Dog Warden...
Q. What type of dog queries do you deal with?
A. I deal with all types of dog queries including fouling, barking, straying, dangerous dogs, problem dogs, welfare and enforcement.
Q. Do you deal with other species?
A. With the introduction of the new Animal Welfare laws I also deal with all other types of animal excluding farm animals like cattle, pigs and horses.
Q. What is your most commonly posed dog problem?
A. Barking. It seems that a number of people are unaware that their dog is a nuisance barker especially if the dog is left alone whilst the owner is out at work.
Q. What can be done about this?
A. Its my role to be helpful and offer solutions to a problem, even sometimes referring the people to a behaviourist if the situation warrants it.
Q. What sort of things would you like a veterinary surgery or any person to report to you?
A. Anything and everything. If there is something that causes you concern,if I know about it then I can investigate and help. If you have noticed a straying dog or know a dog that is dangerous for example, I am here to help.
Q. Who are you employed by?
A. I am employed by Animal Wardens which is a company that is contracted to the council.
Q. What qualifications do you need to become a dog warden?
A. None formally, but people skills are vital to the role.
Q. What training do you have?
A. Law enforcement, dog handling, first aid etc. The training is comprehensive and similar to that of an RSPCA inspector.
Q.What legal powers do you have?
A. The best way to describe it is that I work closely with law enforcement and the council. This gives me the ability to do things like enter premises to gather evidence and investigate animal welfare issues.
Q. What hours do you work?
A. I work Monday to Friday 9-3. These hours are likely to increase to a finish time of 4.30 or 5 p.m.
Q. How many dog wardens does Rugby have?
A. I am the only one at the moment.
Q. Are you routinely met with difficult or aggressive people?
A. I think this is primarily where the people skills come in. I speak to people the way I want to be spoken to, so, no I have not had a problem with aggression. I do have coping mechanisms to call on if this were to happen. Don’t forget I am here to help and offer solutions to problems.
Q. Do you deal with aggressive animals?
A. Yes, and again I am trained to handle this.
Q. Do you euthanase animals?
A. Yes. This is only done where an animal cannot be saved or is dangerous.
Q. Is pest control part of your remit?
A. No, this is another department.
Q. Where do you take the Rugby strays?
A. They are taken to Forest Lodge Kennels in Northamptonshire. I only take them there if I cannot take them home to their owner as the dog has no collar and tag with correct information to contact the owner.
Q. What should someone do if their dog has gone missing?
A. Contact me at the council or Animal Wardens, call all your local vets and you could contact Forest Lodge and the RSPCA. (All contact details are listed at the bottom of this page)
Q. Should people handle a straying dog themselves?
A. If you can catch a straying dog by yourself without harming yourself then I will collect it from you. You could take it to a vet. I pick up more unidentified dogs from vets then anywhere else. If you think you may be in danger from the dog then report it to me and I can handle it.
Q. If your lost dog has been taken to Forest Lodge how do you get them back?
A. As the only reason they are there is because they were straying, there is a charge of £75 and £10 per day boarding. It is £65 and the same boarding fee for a tagged dog.
I would much prefer to reunite a dog with their owner but I can only do this if the dog is wearing a collar with an up to date identification tag, as specified by law. If I do not know who the owner is and where they live I cannot take the dog home.
Q. What happens to the dogs that are not reclaimed?
A. They are eligible for re-homing after 7 days . If they are not found a new home they could be put to sleep.
Q. What would you like potential dog owners to know?
A. I would like potential dog owners to do homework before acquiring a dog. Please do more research if you are interested in a fashionable breed. A dog is a commitment for around 15 years so do not take on a dog to share your home lightly. People trying to sell you a dog will tell you all the positive reasons for having one. Talk to people with no interest in making you have a dog who are professionals who can give you any down-sides so you can make a balanced judgement. The key is to match any dog you have realistically with your lifestyle. Remember they are a pack animal and a lot of problems transpire when people have unrealistic expectations of what they need to do to look after a dog properly.
Q. If someone has bought a dog from a breeder and they are not happy with the conditions the dog was kept in what should they do?
A. Report it to me and I can investigate.
Q. Should all breeders take back any dog they have bred if the new owners cannot keep it?
A. Yes, all good breeders would do this anyway. It is an idea to have this in writing when you buy a dog. Any rescue centre will do the same and it is in writing.
Q. What improvements would you like to see in general dog ownership?
A. I would like to see all dogs with a collar and tag that tells anyone who owns the dog and contact details. This would save a lot of heartache. Some people believe that their dog never leaves their garden or the house. These are often the dogs I am picking up as strays as dogs will squeeze through small spaces and jump out of windows if theywant to-ending up as strays with no I.D.
I would like to see the introduction of a new dog licence and a competence test for owners to pass before they acquire a dog. If you’re a responsible dog owner this would confirm your abilities but if you were to be awful it would stop you from getting a dog before any damage was done.
Q. Do you think all dogs should be neutered?
A. Yes. The vast majority of dogs I pick up as strays are entire males. Neutering helps with behaviour and gives a dog less incentive for wandering off.
Q. Tell us about your most interesting cases?
A. I recently picked up a corgi cross with severe scabs and sores. It was in a very bad way and in a lot of discomfort. After treatment for flea allergic dermatitis he was taken on by a kennel maid and is now completely recovered and loved in his new home. This is the type of case that is initially sad but great when there is a happy ending.
Q. What is your typical day?
A. There is no typical day. My day can start with giving someone advice about a barking dog, collecting an animal that has been run-over on the road, reuniting a lost dog with its owner, investigating allegations of cock fighting etc. The list is endless and its what makes my work interesting.
Q. Do you have pets of your own?
A. Yes, I have two border collies aged 8 and two cats one aged 16 and the other 3.
Thank you very much Karen for agreeing to this interview and coming to see us.
CONTACT DETAILS
Telephone: 01788 533859
e.mail contactcentre@rugby.gov.uk
Fax: 01788 533859
Postal address:
Environmental Health Services
Rugby Borough Council
The Retreat
Newbold Road
Rugby
Warwickshire
CV21 2LG
Animal Wardens telephone: 01942 814300
RSPCA re-homing centre: 02476 336616
Forest Lodge Kennels
Quinton
Northamptonshire
NN7 2EQ
01604 862239