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28 May 2011: CONSERVATION DETECTION DOG

Wagtail UK – the UK’s leading specialist detection dog training company - has launched a new wildlife division.

Conservation Dogs – is the first UK based dog training organisation to pioneer the concept of using detection dogs to sniff out rare animal species, or rather their signs (scats or droppings or carcasses or nests), in the field to aid researchers in their goals of ecological research, management, and conservation.

The dogs’ incredible sense of smell and their ability to discern individual scents, even when they are masked by other odours, are some of the reasons why Louise Wilson, founder and director of Conservation Dogs, started to diversify into this area.

Louise commented: “By collecting scat samples, we can help charities and organisations achieve a species population count for a certain location. This allows them to formulate an estimate for a much larger area.”

Scat training is also proving highly successful for a growing number of commercial organisations. For example, a pest control company keen to establish its ‘green credentials’ has turned to dogs to sniff out entry and exit points for problem mice infestation cases.

Wind farm sites, seeking to establish the extent of bat mortalities through turbine impact, can use dogs to sniff out the small carcasses. Here, dogs provide an accurate and more detailed insight into the resulting bat mortality rate without demonstrating any bias.

Louise commented: “Dogs operate without prejudice, so in the case of identifying bat populations they provide an unbiased assessment of the situation.”

Commercial operations such as hotels and hospitals could soon be able to enlist the support of these conservation dogs in sniffing out problems such as bed bugs.

Contacts: Louise Wilson www.conservationdogs.com Or call 01745 561166 www.wagtailuk.com.

Conservation Dogs is a Trading name of Wagtail UK ltd - a leading detection dog company in the UK that has many Police and Government contracts using their detection dogs services. Wagtail has diversified into specialist Conservation Dogs (www.conservationdogs.com) due to their keen interest in dogs and the environment.