Chloe, dog walking in Oxford OX1

I am a 20 year old female currently studying animal biology and conservation at Oxford Brookes University and will be living in Headington next year from September.

I have a 4 year old English Pointer who we rescued. He is very very energetic and takes a lot of full time care due to his anxiety. He is very strong and hard to control which has helped me gain a lot of experience and understanding for difficult breeds and individual dogs.

I also have a Westie who is now 14 years old. He is quite old now so extra care is needed when looking after him.

In addition I also have a horse who I used to take full care of while at school. (Having left home my Mum now takes full responsibility)

I worked at a stables for 4 years. Working at Houghton taught me a wide range of skills. I was working with clients regularly who owned horses at the stables. This meant I had to be proficient in customer service where manners and diligence were essential for a healthy relationship between client and employee. I feel it is always important to stay cheerful and confident while working as body language and attitude makes a huge difference to the service you provide for a customer. I would often prepare horses to be ridden by their owners and this taught me to take pride in my work.

I have also undertaken a Student placement in the mammal department at Durrell Zoo. Working at Durrell exceeded all of my expectations. I was involved in the every day care of Tamarins, Bats and Lemurs. I would clean out enclosures daily, talk to the public about the species I was working with and also help prepare food and feed it to the animals. Working at Durrell really inspired me to follow a career in conservation. The people I was working with were all hard working and passionate individuals, and due to this I enjoyed every minute working at the zoo, despite some of the work being very tiring. I strongly believe that having a positive attitude and taking pride in your work is essential for a successful working environment.