Note: Only Group Leaders have access to the Practice Certification process.

Step 1: Apply

After logging in to your account, access the Practice Certification Application by navigating to Veterinary Professionals > About > Practice Certification. Verify your pre-populated information and download the required file from the link on the application; do not add, remove or reorder columns. Enter your entire employee roster into the file, noting the instructions at the top left. When completed, upload the file, acknowledge the Terms & Conditions, and submit. Your application will be reviewed by Fear Free within 2 business days and you will be notified via email of its acceptance or if any changes are needed.

Step 2: Register

When your application is accepted, you will receive an email with a link to register for Practice Certification. When you register, you will pay the non-refundable $500 deposit that will be applied to your total Practice Certification cost. Registering gives you access to the online self-assessment via the Practice Certification Dashboard. You will have access to your Dashboard for 12 months.

Practices will have a 90-day grace period between the time the application for practice certification is approved and the submission of the self-assessment for review.  A practice will know the application has been approved when the link to register is emailed to the Group Leader. Upon request, the Group Leader’s Veterinary Membership may be extended through this 90-day period.

If the practice submits the Self-Assessment for review within the 90-day grace period and for whatever reason no longer meets the practice certification eligibility requirements, the practice will NOT be required to get additional staff members Fear Free Certified and/or renew any staff members’ accounts to meet the eligibility requirements. Members with expired accounts will not have access to the website.

If the practice submits the Self-Assessment for review AFTER the 90-day grace period and for whatever reason no longer meets the practice certification eligibility requirements, the practice WILL be required to get additional staff members Fear Free Certified and/or renew any staff members’ accounts to meet the eligibility requirements.

Step 3: Online Self-Assessment

The Dashboard houses the standards and supporting examples for practice certification. When you have completed your self-assessment, as indicated by your progress bars turning green, submit it for review.

Step 4: Review of Self-Assessment

Fear Free will review your self-assessment within 3 business days. You will be notified if any clarifications need to be made via email and a call with the Practice Certification Manager will be scheduled. Self-assessments must be approved by Fear Free before an onsite visit can be scheduled.

Step 5: Onsite Visit

On the first Friday after your self-assessment has been approved, you will receive email notification with at least 3 days to choose from to schedule your onsite visit. You have until the following Tuesday to select a date. You will receive a call from your Practice Certification Veterinarian (PCV) within 7 business days following your selection. The visit should take 2-4 hours.

Your PCV will need someone to accompany him/her throughout the visit, observe at least 2 patient visits, review at least 3 patient medical records, and may take photos to help support scoring of your standards. After your onsite visit, you will be notified within 5 business days if you can now call yourself a Fear Free Certified Practice!

To be eligible for Practice Certification, the following requirements must be met: 

A minimum of 25% of staff must be Fear Free Certified and have active memberships.

The 25% must include:

• 100% of onsite managers and leadership
  • e.g. Practice Owner, Medical Director, Hospital Manager, Practice Manager, Office Manager, Supervisor, ‘”Head,” “Lead”
• 50% + 1 of all FTE veterinarians
  • Round up non-whole numbers (see FAQ below for details)
  • FTE = average of 35 or more hours per week
  • Rule of Thumb: If they provide services at your practice, they should be included in your roster.
  • If you are a specialty practice with multiple departments (e.g. Internal Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, ER, etc.) you must have at least 1 vet from each department Fear Free Certified and they must have active memberships.
  • If you provide veterinary (DVM, VMD or equivalent) internships, these DO count toward your FTE veterinarian count. 

All team members of a Fear Free Certified® Practice are awarded a Fear Free membership, which includes access to:

• Veterinary Professional Certification Programs
• Additional complimentary CE offered by Fear Free
• The Educational Library
• The Toolbox
• The Online Store
• The Preferred Product Program
• A closed Facebook group

Other benefits:

• Exclusive webinars on topics such as marketing, communication, and subject matter expertise as it relates to Fear Free
• Practices will be listed in their own online directory, both on the veterinary professional and pet owner landing pages
• Practices will have permission to market themselves as a Fear Free Certified Practice, which includes the use of our logos on their building, entrance, and any marketing collateral

Annual renewal is required in order to keep a practice’s certification status active. Renewal will include:

• Payment of the annual renewal fee. The fee will depend on the practice’s number of FTE veterinarians at the time of renewal.

• Number of Certified Professionals at practice.

At the time of the first annual renewal, the practice must have at least 75% of its employees Fear Free Certified. The 75% must include:

• 100% of onsite management and leadership
• 100% of all veterinarians

At the time of the second annual renewal and on, the practice must have 100% of its employees Fear Free Certified. Employees who have been with the practice for fewer than 90 days are exempt from this requirement.

• Self-Assessment and Onsite Visit. Every third year, a self-assessment and onsite visit are required to maintain Practice Certification. The onsite visit must be completed prior to the end of the third year. For example, if the practice was certified on October 1, 2018, the onsite visit must be completed prior to October 1, 2021.

In addition to being the right thing to do, Fear Free makes financial sense. In a study of 20 Fear Free Certified® Practices, several key performance indicators (KPIs) were identified and measured, such as practice revenue, revenue per patient, revenue growth in different categories, bonding rates, and patient visits. Across the board, Fear Free Certified Practices improved their own performance and significantly outperformed benchmarks as defined in this study after implementing Fear Free.

Learn more about the study and results in the white paper, “The Positive Impact of Fear Free Certification in Veterinary Practices.”