As professional dog trainers, we are often asked for referrals to sitters, walkers, groomers, and veterinarians. Unfortunately, many of the professions within the pet industry are unregulated. Dog trainers, sitters, walkers, and groomers need no special training. Anyone can arbitrarily announce they are a “pet professional” and start taking your money today! They can use any tool to handle or train a pet, even those that hurt or scare them, and there is little to no oversight as to what constitutes humane care. Even in the veterinary field, where special training and licensing is required, there is no guarantee that your pet will be treated in a humane, force-free way. It’s pretty scary when you actually think about it.

We searched the internet, asked colleagues who they used, and even had other pet professionals as clients, so we have compiled a small list of those that we can confidently refer to, but the general public was still in the dark. Then we happened to come across an article about a group in the U.K. called the Pet Remedy Companion Animal Professional Partnership that publishes a list of reputable animal care businesses who have signed their ethical pledge in order to help pet owners make an informed decision about their animals’ care. After some research, we found that there are similar organizations in the U.S. as well, and the idea for the TriCounty Force-Free Alliance was born.