Dog Warden Interview – Part One

We recently caught up with Croydon Borough’s award-winning dog warden Tara Boswell to ask her a few questions.

What are the main things that do you do in your role as Croydon’s dog warden?

My main remit is to deal with stray dogs. This includes collecting strays, reuniting them with their owners and finding rescue spaces and homes for the ones that are unclaimed by their owners.

I also deal with aspects of animal welfare, nuisance dogs and dog on dog incidents, including carrying out visits and dispensing advice. I also hold events around the borough in partnership with the police and RSPCA to provide low cost vet care, literature, free microchipping and general advice.

My services sometimes extends to other animals such as cats and wildlife. No day is the same!

How long have you been doing the role and how big is the area that you cover?

I have been doing this job for 13 years and I cover the entire Croydon Borough

What attracted you to become a dog warden?

I really wanted to help stray dogs and also spread the word that dog wardens exist as it’s surprising how much of the general public aren’t aware that local authorities deal with strays.

What qualifications or training did you need?

I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Welfare, Behaviour and Psychology. I also worked at a rescue kennels for three years. Both the experience and the qualifications combined is what landed me the role successfully.

What advice would you give to anybody planning a career as a dog warden or any other dog care role for that matter?

My advice would be to get an animal related qualification and also get as much hands-on experience as possible in various animal industry roles. You also have to be prepared to start with the basics before moving up to a more advanced role. I started by picking up dog poo, cleaning kennels and carrying out basic husbandry tasks. However, these were by far the best days of my life as I also got to hand rear puppies, spend time bonding with traumatised dogs, working in a team with other passionate people and create great memories. I learnt so much from these early days.

Vary where you volunteer as it’s great to see what area you enjoy most- contact vets, rescue centres, behaviourists, groomers etc.

You recently won the RSPCA Pawprint gold award for a fourth successive year. What is that recognition for?

I am very honoured to have won the Gold Pawprint award for the fourth year. It is a recognition of the high standard of dog warden service we provide to the Croydon residents. It recognises the work I do and I am very proud.

It really is an amazing achievement. What keeps you motivated in your role year after year?

It can be a very tough job as I am faced with cruelty and neglect to animals on an almost daily basis and some days it can be overwhelming. However, knowing I am making a difference to those dogs’ lives is what keeps me motivated and having such a fantastic circle of friends within the rescue industry makes a huge difference too. We are one big team who all work hard with the same goal in mind- to make life better for animals.

In what ways do you work with the RSPCA?

I carry out community events in partnership with the local RSPCA branches across the borough, I also have a great relationship with the Public Affairs team and we meet regularly to discuss current issues and how we can tackle them together.

I also occasionally work with the local inspectors to carry out joint visits to animals in distress.

You can read about Tara’s well-deserved award here.

This is a great insight into the role of a dog warden. Perhaps your mind used to wander to unscrupulous cartoon versions of dog wardens with a van full of dogs set for the pound!

Tara’s role is clearly very varied and a vital service so it’s great that we are so well served in Croydon with someone who cares so deeply about dog (and all animal) welfare.

We are delighted and proud to work closely with Tara. Please do get in touch if you need help with the welfare of your pet as we may be able to help or can put you in touch with organisations that can.

We might also be able to arrange micro chipping or neutering for your dog, cat or rabbit subject to certain criteria. Please see our financial assistance page for details.

Watch this space for part two of Tara’s interview. Why not subscribe to receive all of our articles – just enter your email address below.