Pet Life Magazine, New Zealand Pet Life Magazine Issue 3 Winter 2017 | Page 17

PET First Aid & Training (NZ) Ltd Did you know that 90 per cent of our animals are going to require some sort of emergency veterinary treatment in their lives and, according to statistics, one out of four pets would survive if a pet first aid technique was applied prior to getting emergency veterinary care? Fortunately, PET First Aid & Training has three new instructors based in the South Island that can teach you how to help your pet in an emergency. We are looking for more licensees in New Zealand so give us a call if you are interested in joining our team – ph 0508 PET FIRST. Josie Williams Vet nurse in Nelson Bays [email protected] I have always been a great animal lover, and always had pets as a child. Growing up in Golden Bay, Nelson, I was always out and about exploring the wilderness and wildlife. At school I struggled with knowing what I “wanted to be”. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20s that I decided my career lay in the animal industry, so I studied veterinary nursing at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology. Since then I have worked in some busy small animal practices, and developed a keen interest in animal behaviour and emergency medicine, especially regarding poisoning. I am now back in my hometown, Golden Bay. Here, I have worked as a pet-sitter and casual vet nurse, and have travelled to the Pacific Islands to volunteer my time and skills. I became an animal first aid instructor for PET First Aid & Training because I have a keen interest in animal emergencies and feel that the general public and small animal-related industries can greatly benefit from being well-equipped to deal with emergency situations. I will be offering PET First Aid courses for the wider Nelson Bays area, and will look after the Christchurch and Wellington areas until we find instructors for those regions. WIN! Be in to win your very own pet first aid kit from PET First Aid & Training. Email [email protected] with First Aid Kit in the subject line. Closes 31 August, 2017. Flip Collins Agility trainer in Queenstown [email protected] z I’ve grown up around animals my whole life – mainly ducks, rabbits, goats, cats, dogs, fish and hamsters! If someone found an injured animal, my family was the one they would bring it to because we had lots of pets. We lived in the UK. When I was 12 I took our Border Collie, Sam, to dog agility classes and turned into a dog-training geek. I immigrated to New Zealand in 2009 where my love of the outdoors flourished. I became a Girl Guide leader and hiking guide, so I learnt and taught lots about outdoor and survival first aid. I bought a house so I could keep a dog. Now, I have two dogs, Alfie a Cavoodle and Jack, a rescued Beardie. I’m a member of the APDTNZ (Animal Pet Dog Training New Zealand) because I’m still a dog-training geek, and I’m the founder and instructor of the Queenstown Dog Agility Club. I believe in safe training, keeping your best friends safe and having fun, and regularly compete in dog agility around the South Island. Diana Scott Dog massage therapist Works with Flip I attended my first pet first aid course about six years ago because I thought it could be part of my day-to-day routine. There was so much I learned and so much I wasn’t aware of. I learned how to prevent emergencies, treat minor injuries and the key actions to do when you find a dog in an emergency situation. Pet first aid is about more than dealing with emergency situations. It’s about preventing accidents and being aware of your dog’s environment. Accidents can happen, and easily happen through foolish mistakes. Knowing what to look for and being able to notice the first signs of an emergency situation can may mean the difference between life and death. I am a qualified dog massage therapist and am also halfway through qualifying as an animal acupuncture therapist, so becoming a PET First Aid instructor felt like a natural step. It’s what I do every day – making sure that our four-legged family members are happy and healthy.