With thousands of very diverse animals passing through London’s Heathrow Airport every year, knowing how to handle them is crucial for their welfare, safety and the safety of those around them. According to its own figures, Heathrow annually sees roughly 100 farm animals, 300 horses, 1,000 birds, 20,000 dogs and cats, 120,000 reptiles and amphibians, 22 million ornamental fish, and billions of invertebrates. A very varied list in terms of requirements, size and required procedures. And since those animals are handled first and foremost by the airside operations team when they arrive from a flight or are about to depart, the Heathrow Airport Airside Operations team was recently given tailored training to equip them with the knowledge and skills when facing a live animal incident. The Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC) held the training, focusing on safety, compliance, and resilience across the airfield, teaching staff how to respond to domestic, exotic, hazardous, and large animals in the event of an incident in a live airside environment. It looked at animal behavior, zoonotic risk, the safe handling of dogs and cats, identifying and containing hazardous or exotic species, and response protocols for large animal incidents. “Operated by the City of London Corporation, HARC is the UK’s only Live Animal Border Control Post approved to receive all species. It is IATA CEIV Live Animals certified and operates 24/7 all year round, caring for millions of animals annually, including zoo species and high value consignments,” the release emphasized.
Peter Dunphy, Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Port Health and Environmental Services Committee, said: “As a global gateway, Heathrow Airport handles one of the most diverse live animal flows in the world. That demands more than basic awareness training in scenarios where speed, judgement, and control are critical. This course builds on decades of frontline experience managing high risk, time sensitive, and welfare critical situations, so that airside teams can respond with authority and precision if and when needed.”
Susie Pritchard, Assistant Director Animal Health & Welfare, City of London Corporation, commented: “Airside Operations teams are not necessarily animal specialists, yet they are the first on scene when an incident occurs. Our role as a leading provider in live animal care and compliance is to share our expertise, set clear standards, and ensure that safety, welfare, and operational continuity are treated as one integrated responsibility.“
Ashley Hearnden, Learning Design Manager (Airside Operations), Heathrow Airport Ltd, explained: “Your exceptional track record handling everything from everyday animals to rare species, alongside your dedication to the Heathrow and our community, made Heathrow Animal Reception Centre, the obvious and best choice to partner with.”
