What to Look for in a Pet Care Professional–Part 1
This post is the first in a series of articles designed to assist pet care consumers with selecting an appropriate professional to care for and help them with their pets.
In this article, I will answer the question, “What is a professional?” I will also discuss the importance of working under a Code of Technical and Ethical Standards developed by acknowledged experts in pet care.
What is a Professional?
Almost all professions follow the attributes listed under the heading “A Professional Will:”
Many different professionals work in pet care. They include trainers and behavior consultants, breeders, animal control officers, animal nutritionists, animal rescue/shelter workers, boarding kennel operators and staff, pet daycare operators and staff, dog walkers, groomers, pet photographers, pet sitters, veterinarians and their staff, and undoubtedly some that I have missed.
While the government regulates most professions at some level to protect the consumer, veterinary medicine is the only one among pet care professions that is strictly regulated. The other pet care professions are, for the most part, unregulated or lightly regulated.
As one working in several areas of pet care, I believe all pet care professionals must comply with the criteria listed above (see “A Professional Will” text box) if they are to call themselves professionals.
Ethical Standards
The most critical criterion on this list, and the most overlooked in the pet care professions, is the need to follow a code of technical and ethical standards established by experts in the field. Architects, doctors, engineers, lawyers, social workers, and most professions have such standards. When it comes to being required to follow a code of ethical standards, why should the pet care professions be any different, especially since these standards exist?
In the USA, there are three technical and ethical standards for pet care professionals established by experts in the field. While these standards focus on training and behavior, they apply to all pet care professionals who deal with living, breathing, sentient beings.
These standards are:
- The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Guiding Principles – The Pet Professional Guild was founded by pet care professional Niki Tudge in 2012 as a place where pet professionals committed to humane and progressive training methods could gather to support each other and provide an educational resource to the pet-owning public. From its founding, PPG members have followed PPG’s Guiding Principles. “Pet Professional Guild members understand Force-Free to mean that: No shock, No prong, No choke and No pain, No fear, No force are ever employed in the training, behavior modification, care, or management of any pet.”
- The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) 2015 Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines – AAHA is an international association of more than 50,000 veterinary care providers. Established in 1933, it is well known for setting standards for veterinary practices and quality pet care. A task force was established to investigate the high number of pets presenting to veterinarians with behavioral problems and to recommend a standard for addressing behavior in dogs and cats. This report, issued in August 2015, suggests that a behavioral wellness assessment should be part of every pet’s visit to the vet.
- The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB)—Humane Dog Training Position Statement—AVSAB is a group of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and doctorate-level animal behaviorists dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through an understanding of animal behavior.
Choosing a Professional to Care for Your Pets
The best pet care professionals I would choose for my pets, or recommend to others, will be familiar with all three of these ethical standards and likely have their own ethics policies posted on their websites, available in printed form, and included in, or at least referenced in, their contracts. If not, I encourage you to seek a new pet care professional. The Pet Professional Guild is a great place to start!
About the Author
Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop and the founder of ForceFreePets.com, an online educational resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) and a Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP). A Pet Professional Guild (PPG) member, Don serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee and chairs the Advocacy Task Force and Shock-Free Coalition. He is also a founding director of Pet Industry Advocacy International (PIAI).
The opinions in this article are those of Don Hanson.
Resources
on Unsplash
- The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) 2015 Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines
- The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) – Humane Dog Training Position Statement
- The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Guiding Principles
- Pet Professional Guild – Find a PPG Professional
©2025, Donald J. Hanson, All Rights Reserved
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