Want to be a Dog Control Officer?

BECOME A DOG CONTROL OFFICER

To become a Dog Control Officer, a person must be able to communicate with people from all walks of life.  Your communication skills will be tested when you are dealing with a highly emotive dog owner whilst having to seize their dog.

You will need to be able to handle stressful situations as during such a seizure, as there may be Police Officers, Dog Control Officers and an extremely upset dog owner with possibly their friends/relatives present.

You need to be a good educator as some dog owners need guidance to help with issues their dog is facing i.e. barking, wandering.  Sometimes, all it takes is a gentle word and the problem is resolved.

Education of children and adults on how to be safe around dogs is also provided by Dog Control Officers either in the classroom or group sessions.

A Dog Control Officer should be able to understand dog behaviour as reports of aggression are not always what they seem.  It could be anything from a play bow to dominance or something in-between.

Officers can also be responsible for the Territorial Authorities Animal Shelter which requires cleaning dog pens, bedding, exercise areas and feeding the dogs.  Any medication required will also need to be administered (as per owner instructions/vet advice or policy and procedures of the Territorial Authority).

Some dogs, that have not been claimed can be temperament tested for adoption suitability. However there will always be dogs unsuitable to be safety re-homed back in our community so euthanasia is a unpleasant aspect of the role.

You will be required to investigate complaints, so being non-judgmental and having good investigative skills is very important.

Some level of knowledge around stock would also be useful. It is part of a Dog Control Officer’s role is to remove stock from roads and investigate stock wandering complaints.

Whilst there are no qualifications required to become a Dog Control Officer, the New Zealand Certificate in Regulatory Compliance (Core Knowledge)(Level 3) is desirable.  Training in all aspects of the role will be provided internally or externally, depending on the Territorial Authority.

To be employed as a Dog Control Officer you would need to approach your local Council to see if any positions are available.  Positions are also advertised on this website, Trade Me www.trademe.co.nz or Seek www.seek.co.nz

Being a Dog Control Officer can be a very rewarding career, meeting new people, facing challenges and making a positive difference in our communities.

NEWS

26 Jan 2018
Faulty Microchips
Virbac New Zealand Ltd

We’d like to update you on our plan to replace potentially faulty BioTec microchips. We would be grateful if you could forward this to all relevant people in your organisation.

Since 2009 our advice has been to scan pets with microchips at every visit, and to replace the BioTec microchips at our cost if they fail.

As you will recall, earlier this month, we thought it might speed things up for vets and pet owners if we proactively offered to replace ALL BioTec microchips from the affected batches. This approach included microchips that have not failed. The details of this approach were contained in our letter to all veterinary clinics on January 8th.

We now realise that, despite our best intentions, this approach is impractical and unworkable. We regret that it has caused confusion and frustration. We are particularly appreciative that the NZVA and its membership tried to help us make it work for pet owners and their animals.

We have listened to concerns raised by veterinarians, pet owners, and other stakeholders, including the NZVA, VCNZ, NZCAR, and local authorities. We are grateful for their constructive feedback and with the efforts that many have gone to on our behalf. We have decided to simplify the process, effective immediately, as follows:

  • Our approach is to ask veterinarians to scan pets with microchips at every visit, and to replace the BioTec microchips at our cost if they have failed.
  • We are no longer asking veterinarians to pre-emptively contact pet owners for bulk microchip replacement.
  • There will be no cut-off date for claims against faulty BioTec microchips.

To help identify pets with potentially faulty BioTec microchips, we have narrowed down the specific series within the batches. Please match the full 15-digit microchip number:

  • From 900-010-000-125-000 to 900-010-000-135-000
  • From 900-088-000-032-635 to 900-088-000-543-529
  • From 900-008-800-219-506 to 900-008-800-248-955

It has always been our intention to resolve this situation as effectively as possible, and we are sincerely grateful for everyone’s patience as we work through this.

Please also be assured that our replacement microchips, BackHome BioGlass Minichips, are manufactured to the highest industry standards with direct-bonding technology to ensure total and lifelong reliability. They have been in use for five years.

Virbac New Zealand Ltd
www.virbac.co.nz