With 54 million pets in the UK, we’re a nation of animal lovers.
A billion-pound industry and growing, working in the animal care and management profession is one of the most rewarding with students going on to achieve dream careers - often via university and degree-level study - in veterinary nursing and medicine, laboratory and ecological work, or pursuing animal-related roles in the police, retail and agricultural industries.
Our YouTube playlist
Hear from our students, tutors & alumni on our Animal Care playlist.
Navigate through the films by clicking on the top right icon!
Photo gallery
Kendal College was home to the UK’s first Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre alongside its teaching department. Facilities include an intensive care and treatment room with industry-standard surgical equipment and digital X-ray facilities to provide the highest level of animal care and the best possible practical learning environment for students. Courses are headed up by experienced veterinary staff who could one day be out rescuing baby seals to another day getting hands-on with common wildlife casualties like injured birds or hedgehogs.
Students are encouraged to seek work placement opportunities with organisations and charities like the RSPCA and local vets. We are also proud to be working towards the Hedgehog Friendly Campus Silver Award! Read more about it here.
Animal Care can be studied as a full-time course or as an apprenticeship.
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The bearded dragons and geckos are not that scary, we are showed how to handle them properly and I feel more confident, I would never have touched a tarantula before but I would now!
Hannah Short, Animal Management Level 3
Meet your tutors
Sarah Neil
Watch moreSarah Neill, Marine Biologist and Animal Management Lecturer, was selected to join Sedna Epic on an expedition to the high Arctic this coming year. Women are still a minority in polar exploration, and Sedna Epic provides a safe place to conduct fieldwork. Sarah discusses why this is still needed, her experiences with gender stereotypes, and her hopes for the future.
Meet your tutors
Lisbeth Tuckey
I have worked in the Animal Rescue Centre since it opened in 2014. I am currently the onsite Veterinary Surgeon and an Animal Care Lecturer, contributing to the delivery of both FE and HE courses here at Kendal College. I am passionate about native British wildlife species and supporting conservation and nature recovery projects at local and national levels. I qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1985, working predominately in small animal practice for nearly 30 years. It's wonderful to share my industry knowledge and experience with the next generation of animal carers. The response to the courses is fantastic, and our learners gain so much from our amazing facilities.
Meet your tutors
Stephen Parry
I'm originally from Manchester and worked at London's largest land-based college in various roles, including practical instructor, lead assessor, course lecturer, and manager on the keeper & aquarist on animal management courses. In addition to working in education, I have experience training and taking sledge dog tours across the Arctic forest in Sweden through Norway, working in wildlife and rehabilitation with the Big 5 in South Africa, working with a zoo in the south of France and with farm animals in Australia, living in a loft above Camels, and teaching vet students on Extra-Mural Studies to help prepare them for the clinical environment.
View our courses
This BTEC Level 1 is designed to give an introductory overview to some of the key principles, knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to the animal care sector.
This course is intended for anyone who would like to develop a career working with animals. Highly qualified and experienced veterinary, teaching and technical staff support students to achieve this qualification.
This course is intended for anyone who would like to develop a career working with animals and supports access to careers in the animal management sector. It is primarily for learners who are intending to gain employment directly, or progress to an apprenticeship or a higher-level animal management qualification e.g. degree. Highly qualified and experienced veterinary, technical and teaching staff support students to achieve this qualification.
