Lorena Beatriz León-Patti
Your committee chair and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee
Welcome to the Inclusivity Committee!
Here at PPG, we are committed to being more purposeful in enhancing inclusivity and diversity within both our membership and the wider pet professional community.
When we speak to diversity, we mean the presence of differences in race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, disability, age, religious commitment and political perspective. Equity is about promoting justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes and distribution of resources by our organization. Inclusivity is the outcome we aim to achieve when the organization is truly inviting to all who agree to PPG’s Guiding Principles and Ethical Code of Conduct.
To our membership and our community, we see you, we will listen to you and hear you, and we are with you. We must do better, and we will.
The very purpose of PPG is to build an international coalition of industry professionals who are informed, empathetic and ethical. However, an unfortunate reality is that many dog trainers and pet owners are unfamiliar with R+, force-free training methods due to lack of access.
The Inclusivity Committee hopes to help PPG attract more trainers and pet owners from minority groups to help support them in their goals of reaching clients with positive, force-free training methods. Supporting a more inclusive and diverse organization helps PPG make this important education and support more accessible, reaching a wider audience and their pets. To know better is to do better, and in an industry fraught with faulty information, preconceived notions and misguided behavior, the Pet Professional Guild will continue to welcome all who are willing to champion this battle daily.
At PPG, our highest calling is to respect the freedom and dignity of others, and that starts with awareness. In pursuit of this awareness, PPG’s Inclusivity Committee will roll out several programs to help attract and retain a broader and more diverse membership body. As a whole, the Pet Professional Guild will continue to embrace all voices willing to assume the responsibility for moving our organization and industry forward to a safer, more humane existence.
Are you an animal behavior or training professional who is deeply committed to positive behavior change? Does joining an organization of like-minded individuals who support your professional goals and development interest you? As a professional member of PPG, you get exclusive access to these popular PPG programs:
- Divisional Meetups
- Project tRade
- Feline Lounge
- Scholarships
- Positive Bookworm book club
- Scholarly Circle academic paper review group
You also get discounts on PPG’s Pet Dog Ambassador program, Doggone safe, the application fees for Pet Professional Accreditation Board credentials, and PPG webinars and events, as well as special offers from our corporate partners and free access to loads of resources to support you and your business.
We welcome you—please join PPG today! Click on “Join PPG” in the top menu bar and choose “Pet Professional Membership” from the drop-down menu.
Pet owners can join PPG for FREE! Click on “Pet Owners” in the second menu bar and choose “Pet Owner Membership” from the drop-down menu. As a pet owner member of PPG, you get access to several exclusive areas of our website, lots of helpful resources and educational materials, and incredible vendor discounts.
After signing up to join PPG, please take a moment to visit the Shock-Free Coalition and sign the shock-free pledge. Thank you! As always, the Pet Professional Guild remains committed to providing programs, networking opportunities and resources that empower professionals and pet owners to provide the quality care that all pets deserve.