Students help local kennels

Posted 23 November 2011

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Students at Harper Adams University College have been helping a Telford dog shelter by walking and exercising the animals as part of their studies.

The first year students have been visiting Hilbrae Kennels at Cold Hatton once a week, where 100 dogs and puppies are in desperate need of new homes.

The visits count as the practical element of the ‘Introduction to Behaviour and Welfare’ module and lecturer, Louise Buckley, hopes they will become a permanent fixture in the course timetable.

Louise, who has been volunteering at Hilbrae since May, said: “This has become the most popular practical that the students do and some of the students have been making extra visits in their own time.

“It’s really encouraging that they are willing to give up their time to help and even bring their friends along.”

As well as the first years, two final year students are also hoping to help the shelter by using Hilbrae as a base for their dissertation research.

Sue Wilkinson, 42, is investigating how ‘clicker’ training can be used to resolve behavioural problems in dogs from rescue centres.

She said: “The ‘clicker’ uses positive reinforcement techniques by marking good behaviour. So for example, if you get a dog to sit, you use the clicker and then immediately give a treat. They then associate the clicker with something positive.

“I hope that I can help some dogs here at Hilbrae to become better behaved, so that they are more rehome-able and more appealing to prospective owners.”

21-year-old Nicola Cook from Boston, Lincolnshire, is hoping to find out if family situation affects the choice of dog from rescue centres.

She is sending out questionnaires to the public and will feedback the findings to Hilbrae so that they can improve their dog to potential owner matching.

Nicola said: “Hopefully my research will reduce the amount of dogs that are brought back to kennels, because this does happen a lot.

“I’m mostly interested in training dogs, but chose to work with the public for my dissertation to try and help the many dogs that need new homes.”

Hilbrae is always looking for donations of food and old textiles suitable for bedding, as well as volunteers and walkers. To contact Hilbrae, call 01952 541254