Animal Care College
After eighteen years at Ascot House, the Animal Care College is moving to new offices.
Still in Ascot the new premises offer a better working environment of the staff, the possibility
of in hours seminars and improved communication and ‘print on demand’ facilities which will ensure
the College improves even further its services to students. A new web site has also been launched
which includes a digital version of the Prospectus and an easier and even more secure registration system.
The Animal Care College was founded in 1980 and is the longest established distance learning college in
the animal care sector. The College has a range of over forty courses for pet care professionals and pet
owners. Courses cover the care and psychology of dogs, cats, horses, the whole range of ‘small and
furries’ and even fish! There are also specialist diplomas in judging, breeding, pet sitting, kennel
management, pet bereavement, nutrition, health and safety, transport, restraint and rehoming. The new
Animal Welfare Act which came into force last year demands that anyone owning a pet or breeding from
it will be expected to look after it and its offspring properly and a series of codes of practice will
shortly be published by the government providing guidance similar to that set out in the Highway Code
for road users. Perhaps even more important, anyone caring professionally in any way for someone else’s
pet will be required to prove competency in order to comply with the Act.
The best way of proving competence is by having a specialist, nationally accredited qualification.
The Open College Network accredits Animal Care College courses and advises that potential students should
ensure that their course provider, whoever they are, should be directly and fully accredited by one of the
nationally recognised accreditation bodies such as the Open College Network or City & Guilds. Many providers
imply that their courses are accredited when they are, in fact, only an associated organisation.
The College recently introduced a Foundation Course to help those working towards all levels of the Their
Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme and many courses are already being used by students in the development of
their portfolio of the KC’s Accreditation Scheme for Dog Trainers and Behaviourists.
The College is also developing a degree course in canine psychology and behavioural modification
which should be available towards the end of 2009. In the meantime, many of the current courses already provide
the foundation for the first stages of the degree course and are likely
to be incorporated into the qualification.
The full Prospectus is on the web at www.animalcarecollege.co.uk
and you can register for courses ‘on-line’. The hard copy Prospectus can be obtained from the Registrar,
Animal Care College, Index House, Ascot SL5 7ET, by telephoning 0845 123 8360 (local call rate) or by emailing
acc@rtc-mail.org.uk.
Article Sourced from the Animal Care College July 2008
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