► The College exists to foster the best care of pets at all stages of their development, environments and circumstances through education and communication. It recognises that there are many views and approaches about what is ‘best’ and encourages a wide range of techniques, practices and processes to this end.
► The ‘five freedoms’ are the foundation upon which the work of the College is based (with the qualifications in brackets that have been generally agreed by the industry and researchers).
• Freedom from hunger and thirst
• Freedom from discomfort
• Freedom from pain, injury and disease
• Freedom to express normal behaviour (as far as is compatible with their social environment)
• Freedom from fear and distress (seldom completely achieved. Indeed, there are times when fear stimulates beneficial avoidance action and/or behaviour modification).
From this premise our approach and methods can be summarised as follows
► Care training and socialisation using and modifying the pet’s natural behaviours (preferably from the nest) must be considered ‘best practice’.
► All techniques recommended and used must never injure the pet or place it under undue stress
► Behaviour modification (that is: changing established behaviour patterns) must be as stress free as possible. (It cannot be totally ‘stress free’ – the learning experience is, by definition, a change of mental state: it is not ‘stress free’ for humans either).
► The modification of behaviour involving the permanent or regular use of prescription drugs or chemicals is not acceptable.
Within these constraints any approach to care and training can be considered valid.
Mission Statement
