Proof of expertise at sera‘s

The first examinations for receiving the proof of expertise according to § 11 of the German Animal Protection Act were successfully held in the training rooms of the company sera. The examinees were examined in writing, practically and orally in the freshwater aquarium and pond sections. Only those who pass the written part are also examined practically and orally.

Kathrin Glaw and Dieter Untergasser – approved trainers and examiners of the des Verband Deutscher Vereine für Aquarien- und Terrarienkunde (VDA) (Association of German Clubs for Aquarium and Terrarium Care) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde (DGHT) (German Society for Herpetology and Terrarium Care) – conducted the training.

The training rooms as well as the aquarium and pond setups of sera were used for the training. Experiments on water chemistry and practical advice on catching, transporting, unpacking and acclimatizing the animals in question take place here.

The subjects taught in the seminar are very extensive, the documentation must therefore be worked through before it begins. On location, only knowledge gaps are dealt with, the knowledge is deepened, and questions are discussed. The new training and examination contains the following topics: Pond, freshwater and marine aquarium care.

Those who, among others, successfully passed the test will receive the proof of expertise according to § 11 as a permission to trade live vertebrates. Everybody who wishes to direct his or her own specialized pet store require this permission before business starts. The same applies for commercial accommodation and breeding of vertebrates if the annual turnover is above 2,000 Euros. The proof certifies the employee’s proof of expertise towards the employer or the state veterinarian of the county the store is located in. Only sera with their own training center provides the possibility to take the examination in the western region of Germany.

Private people who wish to prove their expertise but do not want to become active commercially may take the voluntary proof of expertise according to § 2.

Information about trainings and examinations according to § 11 and § 2 of the German Animal Protection Act may is available on the VDA and DGHT Internet site www.Sachkundenachweis.de.

Within Germany, the proof of expertise can be obtained at five locations. Besides the Expertise Center West in Heinsberg, the VDA conducts examinations in Hamburg, Berlin, Landau and Munich.