From Surrey to Bangor.

When looking forward to my potential future career options I think it's only fair to start by looking back - where my zoology journey began. Volunteering at Charlie Browns Dog Walking.

In the summer of 2017, I was able to spend 2-3 months volunteering with a professional dog walking company based in my local area. As a child I was never able to have a dog of my own so for me this was the perfect time to not only gain experience within animal care/handling but to spend 2-3 hours each week with many different breeds!

After an initial trial shift, Kirsty (the owner of Charlie Browns) invited me to come and volunteer for one walk each week with the team. A few months turned into a year of volunteering between my studies at College and all the time I spent volunteering solidified for me that applying to an animal behaviour course was my next move.

Image: Darcy, who loves a cuddle

Each walk would be approximately 2 hours in length to ensure the dogs were well exercised and happy at the end of the day. During my time spent with the team I was able to gain experience handling the dogs, observing their behaviour; through interacting with each other as well as their responses to the environment, therefore, developing my ability to identify behavioural cues and respond if required.

Furthermore, during each lengthy walk I was able to talk to the other walkers about their experience and learn more about the challenges of different breeds and behavioural transitions of the younger dogs; watching them grow and learn.

Image: One of many walks with many dogs.

Zoology? Is it for me?

My time spent with Charlie Browns made me explore an alternate path during my University courses application process. No longer browsing with little excitement, I began to focus more time on animal behaviour related courses, delving into the world of Zoology and ultimately leading me to Bangor University!

Reflecting to Move Forward

During my time at Bangor University my interest in conservation and the impact of anthropogenic influence on the natural world has expanded massively. However, I still have a keen interest in working within animal behaviour in a more hands on, immersive approach and my time at Charlie Browns sparked this passion.

Observing and being a part of the positive growth and transition of an individuals behaviour is fascinating and further learning about the behavioural mechanisms of different taxa within my modules has aided the growth of this interest.

Even though my interest in potential career options has broadened, this still remains a passion of mine. Something I shall keep in mind when looking forward to my next steps after graduating.

Resources:

Images: All images used were my own.

Charlie Browns Dog Walking Services: https://www.charlie-brown.biz/