“I have worked for Pets at Home for 18 months and during this time I have gained qualifications from AMTRA (Animal Medicines Training Regulatory body) and City, Guilds Level 3 qualifications from the Pet Care Trust. I have also completed the in-store “Steps” training and the Health and Safety course. The AMTRA course involved an intense week’s residential training course and two exams. These covered; the regulations around medicines and dispensing of products, animal physiology, disease control, the medical treatments and their administration. Studying for the City and Guilds Level 3 in Principles of Animal Management within a Pet Shop took a year to complete and also involved 2 exams. I completed training on 15 different kinds of pets- from cats and dogs, to birds and reptiles as well as Business Management. I regularly attend refresher courses so that I keep my knowledge up-to-date and know about all the latest products. Despite being an experienced pet owner and having 4 cats of my own, the training has been of considerable benefit to me as my employment background had never covered animal care. There are many benefits of this training as not only do I have the knowledge to run a safe business, but I also now have the knowledge to be able to advise customers on a wide variety of pets in providing the care they need to keep them healthy and happy! Customers trust our knowledge and can see that we care for the pets, and this means they will to return to our store for our expertise advice.”

Kim, Chingford Store Manager
SQP Flea and Wormer Advisor

“Since starting my career with Pets at Home 5 years ago as a part time colleague, I progressed to an Assistant Manager position which I have held for 2 years. I have had loads of training along the way; from the basic “Steps to Success” training in customer service and pet care, to specialised training, and management courses. I have studied and passed the Pet Care Trust Animal Husbandry
Programme, detailing the needs and requirements of a wide range of small furry creatures. This means I know exactly just what to advise in the best interests of customer’s pets, and am driving responsible pet care and knowledge every day. As well as in-store training, I have attended external courses in Licensed Medicines and Reptile Husbandry. All the training that we receive means that our customers trust our advice – whether first time owners, or experienced keepers, we always have knowledge to share! I have always kept pets, from hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs, to fish, cats and dogs, and always have a fully stocked menagerie, so I always share in a customer’s joy in
purchasing their first pet, and can discuss tips and knowledge with an experienced owner. Looking after the pets in store, as well as my own at home, means that I am in a great position to advise new owners on every detail to keep their pets happy and healthy.”

Laura, Thurrock Assistant Manager
Small Animal, Reptile and SQP Flea and Worm Advisor

“I joined Pets At Home in 2009 and although I’d been a manager previously, working a Pets At Home is like no other retailer I’ve worked for. I’m responsible not only for driving sales and motivating my team, but also in ensuring that we’re delivering excellent customer service through the vast knowledge of all our colleagues. I’ve covered all of the in-store training, completed my AMTRA (Animal Medicines Training Regulatory body) and expertise course in Pet Nutrition. This means I’m licensed to advise on, and sell certain health products and medicines which can only be sold by qualified colleagues who have completed this externally-regulated course. I am also a specialist in Pet Nutrition so I carry out free nutrition consultations where we weigh the pet and give the customer advice on what food would best suit their pet’s needs. It makes such a real difference to both pets and their owners to have the right products for them at whatever life stage the animals are at. I advise all kinds of customers from those buying their first puppy, to those who’ve kept animals for years but have concerns about the weight, coat or general health of their pet. I am very passionate about pets and in particular dogs as I have 2 of my own (1 of them is in the new pets at home TV advert) so I can really empathise with customers when giving advice. I have built up great relationships with customers who visit the store, and this helped me to organise The Pets At Home Great North Dog Walk- the World’s Largest Dog Walk which we plan to hold every June.”

Paul, Washington Store Manager
Nutrition and SQP Flea and Worm Advisor