Vacancy: Humane Animal Dispatch

[PEM406]

Hampshire are going to be opening applications for their scheme soon. Info below
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Join Our Humane Animal Dispatch Scheme – Make a Real Difference in Hampshire



Are you passionate about animal welfare and committed to maintaining the highest standards of humane practice?



Later this year, we will be opening applications for new volunteers to join our Humane Animal Dispatch (HAD) Scheme in Hampshire—an opportunity to play a vital role in safeguarding animal welfare while supporting your local community.



Why Join the HAD Scheme?

The Humane Animal Dispatch Scheme brings together skilled, responsible individuals who are dedicated to ensuring that animals are treated with dignity at all times, particularly in difficult or emergency situations. Volunteers within the scheme provide a crucial service—responding promptly when humane dispatch is required, helping to prevent unnecessary suffering.



By becoming a HAD volunteer, you will:

• Contribute directly to animal welfare in your local area
• Use your skills and experience in a meaningful and responsible way
• Work as part of a respected and professional network
• Support ethical countryside management and emergency response efforts

This is more than a voluntary role—it is a commitment to compassion, professionalism, and public service.



Who We’re Looking For

We are seeking individuals with proven experience and the right qualifications to maintain the high standards expected of the scheme. To be eligible, applicants must meet the following essential criteria:

• Hold the DMQ HAD Award
• Hold an Open Certificate on FAC (Firearms Certificate)
• Possess a full UK driving licence
• Hold both FAC & Shotgun certificates
• Have previous experience in animal dispatch

These requirements ensure that all volunteers are fully prepared to carry out humane dispatch safely, legally, and effectively.



For those who may not yet hold the required qualification, there are several upcoming opportunities in Hampshire to obtain the DMQ HAD Award, including:

• 24th June 2026 or 14th August – (One Day Course) - Humane Animal Dispatch Certificate Assessments – BASC – Events and Courses
• 13th July or 13th September (One Day Course) - Book Online | Orion Wildlife

The Role of a HAD Volunteer

As a HAD volunteer, you may be called upon to respond to a variety of situations where humane dispatch is necessary. This requires:

• Calm decision-making under pressure
• Strong practical skills and sound judgement
• A clear understanding of animal welfare principles
• Respect for legal and safety frameworks

Volunteers operate with professionalism and sensitivity, often in challenging circumstances, and their contribution is highly valued by both the community and partner organisations.



Make a Difference Where It Matters Most

If you already have the qualifications and experience listed above, this is your opportunity to be part of a scheme that has a genuine and lasting impact. Your involvement will help ensure that animals in distress are dealt with swiftly and humanely, reflecting the highest standards of care.



Apply Later This Year

Recruitment for new HAD Volunteers in Hampshire will open later this year. We encourage all eligible individuals to consider applying and joining a dedicated network committed to responsible animal welfare.

Keep an eye out for further details and application guidance—you could soon be making a difference when it matters most.

 

[Dorset Deer]

Such a shame that this invaluable service has been removed from Dorset

 

[Rake Aboot]

Absolutely not a chance
Cannot imagine why anyone wants that grief for no reward.

 

[PEM406]

Absolutely not a chance
Cannot imagine why anyone wants that grief for no reward.

Not had any grief so far. The training was really interesting and the recruitment process wasn’t a hassle. I enjoyed the assessment and it was well run. My call outs so far were straightforward . Some people have had tricky situations to deal with but the team is good and all willing to give advice or even come and help.

Yes, you might get a call at a bad time but just say you can’t attend. Might be late at night but this time of year you can be leaving to stalk at 3, so not such a big deal.

When I started stalking loads of people helped me out so part of me wants to give back. I also was on the way to a shoot one morning and a roe doe had been hit badly and half skinned. She was still alive and suffering. They didn’t have a lot of people back then so deer had to wait in pain till someone could come out. I felt then I wanted to do something to help so took the course to learn more and it went from there.

Talked to a lot of people about it and I get why they have their concerns. All I can say is my experience has been good so far. Just hope I’m not jinxing myself saying that

 

[Greenmist]

Not had any grief so far. The training was really interesting and the recruitment process wasn’t a hassle. I enjoyed the assessment and it was well run. My call outs so far were straightforward . Some people have had tricky situations to deal with but the team is good and all willing to give advice or even come and help.

Yes, you might get a call at a bad time but just say you can’t attend. Might be late at night but this time of year you can be leaving to stalk at 3, so not such a big deal.

When I started stalking loads of people helped me out so part of me wants to give back. I also was on the way to a shoot one morning and a roe doe had been hit badly and half skinned. She was still alive and suffering. They didn’t have a lot of people back then so deer had to wait in pain till someone could come out. I felt then I wanted to do something to help so took the course to learn more and it went from there.

Talked to a lot of people about it and I get why they have their concerns. All I can say is my experience has been good so far. Just hope I’m not jinxing myself saying that

Did they pay for your HAD training course?

 

[PEM406]

Did they pay for your HAD training course?

No but I did the course because I wanted to. I knew it didn’t guarantee entry into the scheme but I’d already done some dispatches after tracking down wounded deer and wanted to learn more about how they did it. It is different on a road or urban environment, some things you don’t come across in woods or fields but also a lot of transferable skills.

 

[Dan Newcombe]

Im curious what HAD training actually covers having never done it.

My experience is walk up as close as practical and shoot it in the head with a shotgun - job done. Safety isn’t a huge issue as it’s the same as any time you fire a gun and aiming again is the same as you would usually do.

 

[PEM406]

Im curious what HAD training actually covers having never done it.

My experience is walk up as close as practical and shoot it in the head with a shotgun - job done. Safety isn’t a huge issue as it’s the same as any time you fire a gun and aiming again is the same as you would usually do.

I won’t be able to do it justice in a post but it covers a lot of topics. I know there are some courses advertised on here at the moment and they’ll be able to give more detail.

Shotgun is the most common but it isn’t always the right choice. You might have to use rifle, knife, 410 pistol or other options. There is consideration of ammo type and angle of shot.

However method of dispatch is only part of the course. Safety is a big topic because you could be in an urban environment or even on a motorway and with a lot of hard surfaces ricochet can be a real risk. You might have to deal with a live road, one of mine was a dual carriageway at rush hour.

You also have to know how to work with other emergency services. You could have a deer through the windscreen of a vehicle and people injured and you’d need to work with fire, ambulance and police to make a plan.

They also cover handling different situations. You are wearing a jacket with Police on it, so how you act is important. One of the scenarios on our course was a real case: muntjac with head stuck in school railings with kids and parents watching. I’ve never had one like that but my first one was next to a roadside burger van with customers asking if they could take the deer for a BBQ. You need to work with the police to manage that. You’re the expert on deer, they deal with the people but you can make their job a lot easier or harder so the course covers that too.

There’s more I haven’t mentioned but hopefully gives you an idea.

 

[SOE]

The more operators the less calls if you do the maths...you are meant to have a" territory" on this scheme....

 

[cookingfat]

The more operators the less calls if you do the maths...you are meant to have a" territory" on this scheme....

Nope not true,
Its all done on location,
The control room puts the neatest HAD to the scene and if he or she can't go for many different reasons the nest nearest gets a call and so on.

 

[cookingfat]

Im curious what HAD training actually covers having never done it.

My experience is walk up as close as practical and shoot it in the head with a shotgun - job done. Safety isn’t a huge issue as it’s the same as any time you fire a gun and aiming again is the same as you would usually do.

Most gamekeepers/pest controllers and stalkers know how to dispatch humanely and safely,

The training will give you the situational awareness that you will need to perform the above.

The key things are Emotional, Physical and reputational risks involved in doing this work as a police volunteer which is why the constabulary assess the candidates before going live.

If you won't to give something back to the deer and help your local community then get involved and do this course.

Yes I agree that why should we pay to do a course that doesn't pay anything back except you could claim mileage and I don't know anyone that does.

 

[SOE]

It is worth remembering that it is an offence under the Firearms Act and the Police cannot sanction any discharge of a firearm on or near the public highway even for HAD..THAT IS PRIMARY LEGISLATION AND CAN ONLY BE SANCTIONED BY PARLIAMENTARY LAW AMENDMENT...so the police cannot ask you to break the law..so your fac is at risk ....if someone complained on scene..ie you are in a legal defence mode and it would be the court that decided if your reason for the discharge was legal or not....is it worth the risk and hassle ?(i use a captive bolt on quiescent casualties..it is not a firearm therefore not affected by the Firearms Act)

 

[PEM406]

It is worth remembering that it is an offence under the Firearms Act and the Police cannot sanction any discharge of a firearm on or near the public highway even for HAD..THAT IS PRIMARY LEGISLATION AND CAN ONLY BE SANCTIONED BY PARLIAMENTARY LAW AMENDMENT...so the police cannot ask you to break the law..so your fac is at risk ....if someone complained on scene..ie you are in a legal defence mode and it would be the court that decided if your reason for the discharge was legal or not....is it worth the risk and hassle ?(i use a captive bolt on quiescent casualties..it is not a firearm therefore not affected by the Firearms Act)

I’m sorry for pushing back but that doesn’t match with the training, induction or evidence.

We are starting to touch topics covered during the course, plus additional training given to HAD volunteers so in deference to people running the courses, I want to be a little careful on my response because this is covered on those courses and they are the experts in explaining this. This is my perspective and others may explain it better.

There are things you can and can’t do. You are exempt from certain restrictions in the deer act but you still can’t act on private land. You are acting under authority of the police to perform dispatch and you operate under insurance from the relevant police authority. However you can’t speed or turn up under the influence of alcohol or drugs. You also need to use the firearm or other method of dispatch with appropriate care and attention.

I am not arguing the law as others may know the full answer here. I don’t believe your FAC is at risk if you deploy at the request of the police and under an incident number. You are being asked to attend in lieu of an AFO under authority of the force incident manager.

Your FAC is granted or revoked at the discretion of the Chief Constable and it would be very strange if the police were to revoke your FAC after asking you to attend and carry out a dispatch on the road on their behalf. Not sure if I can share numbers but there have been a lot of HAD deployment in Hampshire this year and they are all (nearly all?) on or near a public highway.