Doggy things

COLLIN SINGER can sniff out a business opportunity a mile away. It was a combination of compassion and expertise gained during a career spanning almost 25 years in the Royal Air Force as an operational explosive dog handler that led to him setting-up Wagtail UK eight years ago.

Since then, he and his 22-strong team have been training and supplying canines for the detection of firearms, explosives and drugs from the firm’s base in Flintshire.

Specialist dogs trained at the company’s headquarters near Holywell have been put to work in countries including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, where the animals are typically used to search vehicles entering construction compounds to prevent terrorists smuggling in and detonating bombs.

And he is now branching out into more exotic species, with Wagtail recently sent to South Africa to search out cheetah excrement.

The 49-year-old, from Deeside, is married to Margaret and has a 21-year-old son, Paul.

A keen Evertonian, he planned on a career in the Toffees’ midfield but soon decided a more business-related path was suited to him.

“I left Connah’s Quay High School at 16, worked for two years as a carpet fitter and then left because I had to work on Saturdays and couldn’t get to see Everton play,” Collin told Business Post.

“I joined the RAF police and never got to see them, but I did want to work with dogs and trained as a police dog handler. That said, I never thought at that stage about starting my own business.”

It was the truly horrific images of the World Trade Centre’s collapse at the hands of terrorists that made Collin sit up and take notice of how and why Wagtail might be a good idea.

“I left the RAF in June 2003 and started the company, but I had a plan in mind since September 11 2001,” he said.

“That was the game-changer because I was an explosives dog handler and realised then that the RAF had given me the skills and that terrorism was going to be a major threat, and drugs weren’t going to go away either.”

After a hands-on period on the front line Collin now goes to work in a suit and spends more of his time at meetings than getting his hands dirty.

The switch has enabled him to significantly grow the company at home and abroad.

Collin said: “I am the managing director and because the business has become more successful in the last two years I have less of a hands-on role now.

“I spend more time overseeing the operation and wearing a suit liaising with clients.

“There are very few average days because I could be in France or London or I could be out with the dogs training.”

He added: “The last 12 months have seen us continue to provide detection dogs for the Channel ports in northern France, searching for illegal immigrants on lorries and in containers and we have also done some high profile security work at venues like Wembley, Lord’s cricket ground and for the police.

“However, we are also developing dogs to work in the ‘green’ sector, finding evidence of endangered species both at home and abroad.

“My co-director Louise Wilson has twice been to South Africa to train dogs to find cheetah poo.”

Because of the sensitive nature of Wagtail’s work, they won’t disclose exactly where its base is.

However, Collin would admit they are always on the lookout for additional training areas such as warehouses, cinemas, theatres, shops, sports arenas and HGV vehicle compounds.

Two years ago the workforce was made up of Louise and himself, but he now employs eight people in North Wales and 14 in northern France, with plans to take on more staff in the future.

For Collin, success is not measured in profits and balance sheets, it’s the joy of making a go of the company in the first place that brings him so much satisfaction.

“And there is also the thrill of taking a dog that could have come from rescue kennels and might have been put to sleep and training it so that it could save people’s lives,” he said.

But there have been low points.

“About five years into the business when we were struggling and I was paying for Christmas on our credit cards maybe some people might have let Louise go, but it was a question of believing in what we were doing and Louise played a massive part in that,” added Collin.

“I’ve made mistakes and there are things I would do differently.

“When I left the RAF I knew I could train dogs but I’d never run a business before and it was a steep learning curve but you learn from your mistakes.

“We’ve survived by sticking to our principles, but our core business involves drugs, terrorism, explosives and detecting illegal immigrants. Fortunately, the recession doesn’t seem to affect them.”

He added: “I love every minute of what I do, I really love my job. You just can’t beat the satisfaction of training the dogs.

“When I was in the RAF I thought my job as an operational explosives dog handler was the best possible and now I sit here as MD of Wagtail UK and I still think I’ve got the best job I could possibly have.

“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and of Louise because I’m not sure the business would have survived without her and the staff we have and the job we do.”