Andy Wood

Andy Wood is Darlington's dog warden, a varied role where no two days are the same, and he meets a variety of people every day.

He said: "Hi, my name is Andy Wood. I am the Darlington Dog Warden, a job I’ve done for around 25 years

My job is always very interesting, even the times when a dog wants to try and bite me, which has sadly happened several times over the years.

It’s always very rewarding when you find a lost dog and reunite it with the owner.

One highlight of my job is that no two days are the same, as I’ve been called upon to help capture different types of animals from racoons and ferrets to swans.

I’ve also assisted the police and other agencies to deal with a stray or dangerous dog.

Since the start of the lockdown I’ve been asked to help the community in different ways too, including delivering medicines and food parcels to the vulnerable members of the community.

The council has also recently set up a new community group called DOGwatch with the aim of helping highlight issues and offer some useful advice in relation to things like dog theft.

I enjoy being the dog warden as I’ve met so many different people over the years and worked with a lot of interesting people.

Being able to make a difference and help people is always very rewarding."