It was a pleasure to visit a Wrexham-based firm that is training dogs to protect endangered species, thereby playing an integral role in global conservation efforts! Conservation K9 Consultancy, based in Erddig, trains dogs to detect wildlife in the same way the police dogs are trained to detect bombs and drugs, allowing people to protect biodiversity, ecology and wildlife.
Conservationist organisations get in touch with Conservation K9 Consultancy to discuss ways of finding a species of plant or animal in a particular area which they would like to protect. The team at Erddig then work with these partners either to provide specialist dogs or to train them for their partners to detect scents left by those species. Conservation groups can then go about ensuring that they remain unharmed by other humans.
Like many small businesses, they had a difficult year during the pandemic, with many training classes cancelled and trips to train dogs overseas made impossible. Things were made even more difficult with regulations being different on either side of the England-Wales border, with the firm having clients on both sides. Having helped the firm navigate these difficulties during the pandemic, I was thrilled to be able to visit in person to see the business in action.
During the visit, Louise Wilson, the Managing Director of the consultancy, said:
“We may just be a small business, but we have big ideas for detection dogs for conservation. 18 years of passion and experience in this arena we won’t get crushed by the pandemic, so we are coming back bigger and better. We also have a brand-new venue working in partnership with National Trust Erddig, as well as newly accredited conservation dog handler courses and expert training right here in Wrexham!”
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