Cats and Coaching

Fear Free has helped me become the cat advocate, and the go-to tech with patients who have high levels of FAS, coaching the staff with Fear Free handling techniques daily, as well as teaching and coaching clients.

Alex David Lara, Elite Fear Free Certified Professional

Help at Home

I am in the veterinary industry now as a consultant, but I have used these techniques with my own dogs and cats at home and have found them to work well, and certainly with less stress for all involved. I think the concepts are spot-on and find it very inspiring that this is becoming the standard for care in our profession.

Please keep up the great work!

Kevin Welch, DVM, Elite Fear Free Certified Professional, Senior Technical Services Veterinarian, Bayer Animal Health

New Clients, Happy Staff

Our Fear Free certified hospital is almost everything I had hoped. We are seeing more referrals and new clients. Our client and staff retention has increased. Our work environment is less stressed. Overall, I am very happy with our changes and could never go back to the way we used to practice now that we have learned a better way.

Penny Dowden, DVM, The Paw Patch Place Animal Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana

Work Is Fun

I love coming to work every day.  It is much more relaxing when our patients show little or no stress, anxiety, or fear.  It’s fun to watch the dogs dragging their owners through the door to come in to see us. I have always liked working with cats, but it is much more enjoyable when they are more relaxed and are not struggling during their visit. It is particularly satisfying to listen to new clients telling us how amazed they are at how their pet seems so relaxed and comfortable here. To me, that means everyone on our team is applying what was learned through our Fear Free training and it is now our standard operating procedure!

Sharon DeNayer, Elite Fear Free Certified Professional, Practice Manager, The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management and Windsor Veterinary Clinic, Windsor, Colorado

Better With Animals and People

I have always been more in tune with animals’ emotional states than with those of humans. Surprisingly, focusing on how animals are feeling in the hospital has brought the human end of the leash into view and I am becoming more empathetic to people — in all my interactions!
Fear Free is literally making ME a better person! Thank you for that unanticipated side effect!

Ann Frank, RVT, Elite Fear Free Certified Professional, VetUrgency, Frederick, Maryland

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Kim Campbell Thornton is content manager for Fear Free Pets and is a Level 3 Fear Free Certified Professional. She has been writing about dogs, cats, wildlife, and marine life since 1985.