BPCA has released two new Codes of Best Practice (CoBPs): ‘Birds of Prey in Pest Management’ and ‘Working Dogs in Pest Management’.
Niall Gallagher, BPCA technical manager, said a BPCA Code is a set of written rules which explains how people working in our industry should behave in a particular situation.
“Members must abide by the Codes of Best Practice in their day-to-day work,” Mr Gallagher said.
The new Codes cover everything from animal welfare to legal compliance, ensuring pest professionals who use working animals in their control programmes meet the highest standards.
The Birds of Prey in Pest Management Code includes:
- Welfare standards that go beyond the minimum required by law, covering nutrition, housing, training, and veterinary care;
- Record-keeping requirements for food sourcing, veterinary details, transportation protocols, and daily health checks; and
- Clear guidance on training methods, equipment checks, and transport to ensure birds are safe and well cared for.
The Working Dogs in Pest Management Code includes:
- Minimum criteria for humane, lawful use of dogs in dispatch, wildlife tracking, detection, and public health protection;
- Guidance on survey and pre-treatment checks, including assessing risks and avoiding disturbance to non-target species; and
- Strict welfare rules around training, fitness, humane dispatch, and safe working practices.
Mr Gallagher said: “Working animals remain an important part of many pest management programmes. These Codes of Best Practice ensure their use is professional, ethical and fully compliant with the law.
“They set out clear expectations for BPCA members, giving clients confidence that welfare and safety always come first.”
You can download the Codes of Best Practice, by clicking here.
