MoD approves new canine courses for those leaving armed forces

The Four Paws Groom School’s courses in cat grooming, dog walking and pet sitting have been approved by the Ministry of Defence.

Those leaving the army, navy or RAF and are considering retraining in the animal sector can now choose from five different qualifications.

They can opt for cat grooming, dog walking and pet sitting qualifications, in addition to dog grooming and canine first aid, all of which are Ofqual-regulated.

Fern Gresty and Sarah Mackay, owners of Four Paws and awarding organisation iPET Network, said: “We understand that the prospect of starting a new job can be very daunting so the qualifications we offer provide all the training and skills required to have work with animals, which we both know is incredibly rewarding.

“Every one of our qualifications is specifically tailored to that particular sector and is delivered in settings across the country by our highly-experienced training providers.

“Those who have experience of the armed forces have a whole host of transferable skills and are a real asset to the animal sector. We’re looking forward to enrolling more of those capable and talented people on our courses in the coming months.”