# I got PM'd this?!?!



## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

Hey all I got PM'd this randomly today, never heard of it, have you guys?






*DWA Training course* 
*SAI GLOBAL TRAINING COURSES*
*Dangerous Wild Animals (DWA) Training Course*
Delivered by Mark Amey; _Zoologist and Reptile Specialist_.

*Register your initial interest - Click here!*

*Date TBC* 10:00am – 5:00pm Paradise Wildlife Park, Broxbourne

This one day intensive training course is designed specifically for *animal licensing officers* and those *individuals who are thinking of applying for their Dangerous Wild Animals (DWA) licence*. 

Areas covered will include:

*Types of keepers*
*Shift box*
*Venom *
*Feeding*
*Accommodation requirements*
*Equipment*
*Handling / Tubing*
*Protocol*
*Pinning, hook and tailing*


*Course fee: £**100 + VAT per delegate *and includes:

· Morning & afternoon tea, coffee and biscuits 
· Buffet lunch
· An SAI Global Certificate of Training (signed by Mark Amey)
· Course notes and other useful reference materials
· PLUS A GUIDED TOUR OF THE ANIMAL PARK WITH A SPECIAL 
‘MEET THE ANIMALS’ EXPERIENCE
*****Please note this course is only open to those over 21 years old.*

*REGISTER YOUR INTEREST EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT*
Places on the course can be pre-booked by contacting Rachel Woodwards directly to obtain availability. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you consider SAI Global for any training needs you have planned for 2011.
*CONTACT US!*
For further information on please contact Rachel Woodwards on 0*1908 249934 or email [email protected]*

*Rachel Woodwards*
Scheme Manager - Rural & Retail Businesses
Assurance (UK)
*SAI Global*
Winterhill House, Snowdon Drive, Milton Keynes, MK6 1AX
Phone: +44 (0)1908 249934Mob: +44 (0)7772 943438Fax: +44 (0)1908 249965
[email protected] 
www.saiglobal.com/assurance



*DWA Training Course*
Delivered by Mark Amey
Mark Amey has been involved in delivering training for local authorities for a number of years. He is part of the Herts, Beds & Bucks DWA licencing team and has a large collection of DWA licenced species himself, consisting of 15 invertebrates, 25 snakes, 3 crocodilians and 1 lizard. ​


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

yes dude send me a pm


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

Sounds good!


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## bloodpython22 (Feb 19, 2010)

You cant go wrong with mark he is one of top blokes in uk
for venomous keeping mainly very high end elapids. He does.nt
take fools lightly tho. He is always happy to talk. He owns amey zoo


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

leptophis said:


> yes dude send me a pm


 Ah ok mate:blush:


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## DrChino (Aug 23, 2010)

Sounds good! Could you send me a PM too please?


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## Richmonds Reptiles (Mar 27, 2010)

Yeh heard about this but not from here, I'll hopefully be going on it but they have yet to confirm the dates or that they have registered my interest!


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

bloodpython22 said:


> You cant go wrong with mark he is one of top blokes in uk
> for venomous keeping mainly very high end elapids. He does.nt
> take fools lightly tho. He is always happy to talk. He owns amey zoo


 Thanks!


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## Rae82 (Apr 28, 2010)

The date for this course is 14th July 2011. Please contact me at [email protected] if you would like more info.


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## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

Hello

I know who Mark Amey is but can you tell us a little about SAI Global?

Sounds like a useful day for someone looking to keep DWA species who can't find a mentor.


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## Rae82 (Apr 28, 2010)

SAI Global provides organisations around the world with information services and solutions for managing risk, achieving compliance and driving business improvement. The DWA course is the latest addition to our recently developed portfolio of training courses for the pet industry. 
Visit: www.saiglobal.com or for our training page: Pet Retailer Training Courses


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

Rae82 said:


> SAI Global provides organisations around the world with information services and solutions for managing risk, achieving compliance and driving business improvement. The DWA course is the latest addition to our recently developed portfolio of training courses for the pet industry.
> Visit: www.saiglobal.com or for our training page: Pet Retailer Training Courses


I would be extremely interested to know under what auspices SAI Global providing training to Licensing Officers in respect of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act?


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

I registered for this the other day, im not looking to get a DWA but should be a decent day out and a good experience!


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

Let us know how it goes please.


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## nat.brassington (Jul 12, 2009)

STReptiles said:


> Let us know how it goes please.


Will do!


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## Jabba the mentor (Nov 13, 2008)

STReptiles said:


> Hey all I got PM'd this randomly today, never heard of it, have you guys?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


is this for real? intensive training course for DWAs??? handling , pinning and tailing all in one day?? 
What qualifiys Mark Amey to train anyone in handling DWAs? What insurance is there to cover this course?


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## blood and guts (May 30, 2007)

If any one on here goes could they ask mark to have a nose at the cobra they have, somthing seems to be missing and with his way of saying things when hes not happy:whistling2:

Have to second chris and jabbas posts to, that must be a first for the latter:Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

It does say its a training course it doesnt state that it makes you a master handler and to be fair any hours you can gain training are valuable hours, so even though its a day course it still gives you just that little bit more experience.


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

Jabba the mentor said:


> is this for real? intensive training course for DWAs??? handling , pinning and tailing all in one day??
> What qualifiys Mark Amey to train anyone in handling DWAs? What insurance is there to cover this course?


Surely he would have public liability insurence, wouldn't that cover it? I think its based in Amy zoo aswell so id imagine hed be covered that way?


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## Jabba the mentor (Nov 13, 2008)

STReptiles said:


> Surely he would have public liability insurence, wouldn't that cover it? I think its based in Amy zoo aswell so id imagine hed be covered that way?


 I,m not sure but I wouldnt think it would pay out if someone did get bit.
Also my worry is Mr A has had a couple of bites from venomous snakes does that not ring alarm bells?? It does to me. Ok so I pay £120 and send my wife off on this course and whoops the worst happens what then oh its ok cos they have PLI umm I think not.


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## Twiglet (May 6, 2009)

Jabba the mentor said:


> I,m not sure but I wouldnt think it would pay out if someone did get bit.
> Also my worry is Mr A has had a couple of bites from venomous snakes does that not ring alarm bells?? It does to me. Ok so I pay £120 and send my wife off on this course and whoops the worst happens what then oh its ok cos they have PLI umm I think not.


He's also rude, arrogant and a self professed expert who claims to be the best DWA handler in the UK yet has taken several bites. 
Frankly, I find the man nauseating which is a pity because his lady is lovely, chatty and immensely friendly. He's not all bad so I feel I'd doing him a small injustice here. On one of the 6 occasions I have been to his shop he spoke to me (politely almost!) and seemed willing to discuss the animals he had in stock at the time.... even if he did repeatedly tout himself as Europes leading reptile expert, on that one occasion he was amiable enough. The other occasions he has immediately been rude, slating my 'lack of experience' and talking down on me before even bothering to question how many years I've been keeping, what I keep and so on. Whilst I am certainly no expert, I'm also not a cretin.

I wouldn't dream of going on any course supplied by him and hate saying that because with all his years of experience he should make a fantastic mentor and I'm not being sarcastic here, I genuinely think this... Unfortunately I cannot stand his arrogance or entire lack of people skills.


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

hi

as a shop owner which keeps venomous, i have to say any education is a good thing, most of these type courses dont try to be a complete a to z but merely a beginning, a way taking that first step, Mark is a knowledable guy who is certainly capable of teaching a course like this the same as paul , rich, tom, brian and a few others on here. I dont think attacking him personally is a good thing even if you have feelings that way, at least hes getting info out there. If you feel he isnt the right person simply choose not to go on it but dont attack him for doing the right thing in teaching, its one of the reasons many of the above names sometimes dont teach and why its so difficult to gain experience . pete


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## Chris Newman (Apr 23, 2007)

Jabba the mentor said:


> is this for real? intensive training course for DWAs??? handling , pinning and tailing all in one day??
> What qualifiys Mark Amey to train anyone in handling DWAs? What insurance is there to cover this course?


You raise some valid points, however, my concern is this course is being touted* for animal licensing officers and those individuals who are thinking of applying for their Dangerous Wild Animals (DWA) licence. *Both objectives laudable, but incompatible – you simply cannot run a course to cover both aspects as they are entirely different!

In principle I would be very supportive of a course that people can take before applying for a DWAA licence, indeed over the years this has been discussed within the FBH. It has never come to fruition because of what has always appeared to be insurmountable legal problems, if these have been overcome then great. Such a course would be very, very useful.

The other concern is how can you run a course for licensing officers when you have no idea what the government guidance for licensing officers is going to be? For the first time in thirty years government is drafting guidance for the Act, this guidance will be published latter this year and yet here we have a business offering training for something which it is oblivious to what the new guidance will be because it’s not yet published!!!!!!!


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## PDR (Nov 27, 2008)

Some interesting points raised here....

If you are going to dismiss a person's credibility on account of the fact that they have been bitten by venomous snakes, then you are going to be left with a short list of "suitable" people.......

Many of the Uk's leading professional herpetologists have been bitten at one time or other over the years, (O'Shea, Wuster and myself to name a few) so does that make them bad handlers / mentors / teachers or examples? I think it is safe to say that I spend more time "hands on" with more venomous than anyone else in the UK so in that context the number of bites per hours worked is very, very low indeed! 

I teach a course for the Home Office designed mainly for University Staff. It is something I would like to extend to private keepers as I feel there is a definite market for such courses.

I'd also agree that there is a considerable difference in the requirements of a course designed for Licensing Officers and the needs of a DWAL applicant.


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

PDR said:


> Some interesting points raised here....
> 
> If you are going to dismiss a person's credibility on account of the fact that they have been bitten by venomous snakes, then you are going to be left with a short list of "suitable" people.......
> 
> ...


I'd be first in the cue for that!


Sam.


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## Mehelya (Jun 3, 2008)

Me too!!!! Sign me up PDR.

I would also like to mention that everyone's experience is different and some of the most logical, sound tips can be picked up from the most unlikely sources. This forum is great for that and I've learnt loads. I have moved past dismissing information based on years of experience, size of collection, number of bites, etc. Anything that can be of direct or indirect use, or just general interest, is welcomed.

And finally, I agree that personal digs and name-calling should be left outside!!!!


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