As more and more pet owners entrust their beloved dogs to the care of professional walkers, the demand for transparency, accountability, and enhanced safety practices is on the rise, especially if you happen to walk an XL Bully or other banned breed in the UK. In response to this, an innovative tool has made its way into the toolkit of dog walkers – the body-worn camera.
Let’s take a look at the numerous benefits of wearing a dog walking body camera and our recommendations.
TLDR: If your budget can stretch to it, we highly recommend using a GoPro both as a personal bodycam but also for capturing those walks in high quality video ready for your socials. For a more budget friendly choice, we recommend Boblov M7 pro.
Don’t forget both are allowable expenses if used solely for your business.
Table of Contents
Why would you want to wear a bodycam as a dog walker?
Wearing a body camera as a professional dog walker can have several practical advantages, helping to improve safety, document interactions, and protect against potential issues or disputes. It can be especially useful if you’re walking a banned breed with an exemption certificate.
Personal Safety: A body camera can serve as a safety tool in case of unexpected incidents, providing evidence in case of accidents, injuries, or confrontations with aggressive animals or people.
Evidence of Responsible Care: It can help demonstrate your responsible care of the dogs you’re walking, ensuring you are following best practices in terms of management, cleaning up, and maintaining control over the animals.
Documentation of Dog Behavior: Recording interactions with dogs can be helpful in identifying any behavioural issues or changes over time. This documentation may be beneficial for both you and the dog’s owner.
Preventing Disputes: In case of disagreements or disputes with clients over the care of their pets, a body camera can provide a clear record of what occurred during the walk, helping to resolve issues.
Professional Accountability: Wearing a body camera can demonstrate your commitment to professionalism and accountability, which can be reassuring to clients entrusting their pets to your care.
Protection Against False Accusations: In the event of false accusations or complaints from clients or members of the public, video footage can serve as objective evidence of your actions and the dogs’ behavior.
Security: A body camera can deter potential wrongdoers or anyone who may want to interfere with your work or the dogs you are walking.
Marketing and Client Trust: Mentioning the use of body cameras in your marketing and client interactions can enhance trust and transparency with potential and existing clients.
Emergency Situations: In the rare case of emergencies, having video documentation can be helpful in responding effectively and coordinating with authorities if necessary.
When using a body camera as a professional dog walker, it’s important to be aware of privacy laws and regulations. Make sure you have appropriate consent from clients or individuals whose properties you enter, and use the camera responsibly and ethically.
Is it legal to wear a bodycam UK?
In the United Kingdom, it is generally legal for individuals to wear body cameras for personal use and recording purposes. These devices are commonly used by private individuals, cyclists, drivers, and others to capture footage for personal safety, document events, or other legitimate reasons.
However, there are some important considerations to keep in mind:
Privacy: While it is legal to wear a body camera for personal use, you must respect other people’s privacy. Recording individuals without their consent in situations where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy may infringe on their rights and could lead to legal issues.
Data protection: You must handle the recorded data in accordance with data protection laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the UK. This means you should be cautious about how you use and share the footage and ensure that it is stored securely.
Can GoPro be used as a body camera?
Yes, absolutely. This was the method I used as a dog walker. There are several options when it comes to mounting a GoPro including a head or chest strap however I found the most stable image and one that captured both the dogs and other people was a GoPro crocodile clip that could be mounted on both the strap of my bag or on the waistband/belt of my trousers.
Our top 3 picks for body worn cameras
Budget
If you just want a ‘just in case’ camera then this smaller, unobtrusive unit from Boblov does the job.
The Boblov 007 comes with a built in clip, and complete with a memory card it records in 1080p.
It only has a three hour battery life but if it’s purely being switched on when needed, this should be fine.
Pros: cheap as chips
Cons: 3 hour battery life
All Rounder
The Boblov M7 pro has a built-in 4000mAh Battery enabling it to record 14 hours of 1080P videos, enough for your busiest of days.
We love the fact that you can angle the lens letting you capture the dogs on your walks, whereas a lot of cameras just look straight ahead unless you mount them lower on your body.
Enable the GPS and it records videos along with the route, perfect for tracking dog walks.
With clips included, it’s ready to go right out of the box.
High Quality
It’s hard to compete with the quality of a GoPro. Now on its 12th generation of cameras, the Hero 12 is capable of 5.3K60 Ultra HD Video, 27MP Photos, HDR, and Live Streaming.
Award- Winning HyperSmooth 6.0 Stabilization means that whether you choose to head, chest or clip mount it, your video will be smooth. No more head bobbing around like the old days!
Waterproof, tough and with a rechargeable battery, it’s ready to capture anything your day brings you.
Pros: It’s a GoPro
Cons: You’ll need an extra battery or two to last the day.
Which body worn cameras (BWCs) do the UK police use?
UK police forces use various models of body-worn cameras (BWCs), and the specific devices used could vary from one police force to another. The choice of body-worn cameras may depend on factors such as the needs of the police force, budget constraints, and technological advancements.
Some of the commonly used brands and models of body-worn cameras in the UK include:
Axon (formerly known as Taser International): Axon is a well-known brand for body-worn cameras, and many UK police forces have adopted their devices, such as the Axon Body 3 or earlier models.
Reveal: Reveal is a UK-based company that provides body-worn camera solutions for various law enforcement agencies in the UK.
Motorola Solutions: The UK police also use body-worn cameras from Motorola Solutions, a global provider of communication and security solutions.
Which body worn cameras do law enforcement agencies in the United States use?
Law enforcement agencies in the United States use a variety of body-worn cameras (BWCs) from different manufacturers. The choice of BWCs can vary from one police department to another based on factors such as budget, technological features, and the specific needs of the agency.
Axon (formerly known as Taser International): Axon is one of the most well-known providers of body-worn camera technology in the United States. Many police departments use Axon’s devices, including the Axon Body 3 and earlier models. Axon also provides cloud-based storage and evidence management services.
WatchGuard: WatchGuard, a division of Motorola Solutions, offers body-worn cameras for law enforcement. Their cameras are known for their integration with in-car video systems.
Motorola Solutions: In addition to in-car video systems, Motorola Solutions provides body-worn cameras for police use. Their devices are used by various law enforcement agencies.
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