Ethics Policies
No Pain, No Force, No Fear!
Ethics Policies
As a member of the pet care profession, ForceFreePets recognizes that our first duty is to respect the animals in our care, the people we serve, and our colleagues. Therefore, we continually seek to establish the highest ethical standards for our team members as outlined in the Guiding Principles & Non-Negotiables [adopted from the Pet Professional Guild] as noted below.
- GUIDING PRINCIPLES & THE NON-NEGOTIABLES
- To be in any way affiliated with ForceFreePets, all team members must adhere to a strict code of conduct. Team members understand Force-Free to mean: No shock, No pain, No choke, No fear, No physical force, No compulsion-based methods are ever employed to train or care for a pet.
- Definition of Force
- Any definition can never be so expansive and explicit that every possible situation is addressed. This is seen everywhere in life and, most obviously, in the US legal system. Courts often cannot agree on a single interpretation of what terms and definitions mean, including physical force.
- Recognizing this, we understand that in our Guiding Principles and as a general framework, physical force means “any intentional physical act against a pet that causes psychological or physical pain, harm or damage to the pet.”
- Equipment
- Specific equipment is covered above in our NonNegotiables. However, the use of many harnesses, head halters, collars (non-choking), and leashes would not be considered physical force under this guiding definition if 1) they are used consistently with our Guiding Principles, 2) they are used as intended and designed, and 3) they are not used in a way that is contrary to their design and intent, i.e., not used in a manner which would cause psychological or physical pain, harm or damage.
- Definition of Force
- To be in any way affiliated with ForceFreePets, all team members must adhere to a strict code of conduct. Team members understand Force-Free to mean: No shock, No pain, No choke, No fear, No physical force, No compulsion-based methods are ever employed to train or care for a pet.
- Our mission is to:
- Teach people about their pet and their physical and emotional needs.
- Teach people how their pet learns and how they can help their pet be successful and happy in the environment in which they live.
- To serve as an information resource on pet care through our blog (words-woofs-meows.com), podcast (The Woof Meow Show), and other educational programs.
- To meet or exceed the standards of The Pet Professional Guild Guiding Principles, the AAHA 2015 Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines, the American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior Position Statement on Humane Dog Training, and the membership requirements of Pet Industry Advocacy International.
We encourage you to review our Code of Ethical Conduct and associated policies below.
