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   Home About Us Professional Standards
 
 
 

Professional Standards for Pet Care Professionals

The following are the professional standards for members of the All Canadian Pet Services Network. If a pet care professional is unable or unwilling to adhere to these standards, every effort will be made by ACPSN to provide resources, support and education to the professional to assist in compliance. In instances where the professional standards are not met due to municipal laws/requirements that are not reasonable within the profession, every effort will be made by ACPSN to advocate for change on behalf of the profession.

Standards marked with an * indicate that they are a requirement. There is no room for discussion if these standards are not met, and membership will be reviewed.

Mouseover the for more information, or an explanation of the standard.

View the Position Statement on the Maximum Number of Dogs Permitted in the Care of a Member of the All Canadian Pet Services Network.

View the Position Statement on the Minimum Service Standards for Pet Sitting Services.

View the Position Statement on Job Sharing.

*The pet care professional must not have any past criminal charges or convictions or pending criminal investigations relating to the abuse, neglect, or abandonment of any animal, or in any aspect that directly impacts the professional’s ability to provide safe care.

*The pet care professional must not have any past criminal charges or convictions or pending criminal investigations relating to any breach of trust matter, such as theft of property or fraud.

The pet care professional shall be knowledgeable and experienced in caring for pets.

The pet care professional must have a genuine concern for the welfare of all pets.

The pet care professional has a moral responsibility to report any instances of animal abuse to the authorities.

The pet care professional shall have an interest in continuing education and seek to enhance knowledge and skills through courses/workshops/articles etc.

Pet care professionals shall conduct business ethically and honestly.

  • The pet care professional shall not advertise their service in a manner that lures clients into contacting them under false pretenses – i.e. advertising falsely low prices in order to obtain inquiries (“Bait & Switch”)."Bait & Switch" refers to offering unreasonably low prices to appeal to consumers and beat out the competition. Upon "baiting" the client, the company then offers services at a much higher rate, citing whatever reason for the change. This is unethical practice.
  • The pet care professional shall not submit invoices for services that were not provided, or fail to provide services that were agreed upon in the contract.
  • The pet care professional must obtain signed contracts, releases and information forms prior to providing service and retain these forms for the duration of the providing service to the client.
  • The pet care professional will meet with both the client and the client’s animal prior to providing services. If an employee or independent contractor is to be used, the employee or IC should meet with the client and the client’s animal in the presence of the professional or the interview process and credentials of the employee/IC should satisfy the client’s expectations.It is recognized that many companies dealing with employees and ICs who do the actual walking/sitting will not always be able to meet with the pet parent prior to providing service. However, the professional should attempt ensure that the IC has a visit with the pet supervised or in the presence of the professional (i.e. accompanying the IC on first visit), and that the client is aware of the employee's/ IC's qualifications/experience/personality etc. during the interview process with the professional. The IC or employee should make telephone contact at the least, and introduce him/herself to the client, and obtain pertinent information about the pet from the client. Client's will be reassured that contact is made, as opposed to relying on the paperwork to tell the employee about any concerns or special habits.
  • The pet care professional must maintain adequate pet sitter's insurance coverage at all times. Insurance & Bonding is an essential part of conducting business. The professional should maintain adequate coverage for "Care, Custody & Control" while providing services, and ensure that their employees/contractors also have coverage.

The pet care professional shall abide by all city bylaws in the area(s) in which they provide service, including but not limited to:

  • Waste management (Stoop & Scoop)
  • Leash laws and bylaws governing off-leash areasEach municipality has laws governing the location and use of off leash areas. Leashes are required in all other areas of public property. Professionals should use their discretion and abide by these laws.
  • Maximum allowable animals on a premisesMost municipalities have limits set on how many animals can reside in a home within city limits. For pet sitters who offer in home boarding, it can be an issue, especially if they have their own animals and already meet the limits.
  • Kennel licensingMost municipalites have licensing requirements for kennels operating within city limits, and they cannot be operated in a residential setting. Boarding kennels differ from offering "home style boarding" to a select number of clients. If the boarding is intermittent, and there are not more than a couple of animals being boarded, you may be exempt from requiring a kennel license. Some municipalities, however, require you hold a business license as a pet sitter. Check with your local city hall or licensing office for details.
  • Maximum allowable animals under the care of an individual (i.e. during group dog walking)Check with your municipal office or Animal Control in your area to determine if there are limits.

The pet care professional shall abide by all municipal, provincial and federal requirements with regards to business licensing and fees and income reporting.

Employees or independent contractors of a pet care professional must abide by this code of conduct. Any violation of this code by an employee or independent contractor will be deemed a violation by the pet care professional. Pet care professionals have the responsibility to appropriately screen and insure their employees / ICs.

The pet care professional shall respect the client’s property, possessions and pets while providing services, and shall not willfully act in a manner that threatens the safety and security of the client’s property, possessions and pets.

The pet care professional shall maintain discretion/confidentiality in regards to the client’s identification, the client’s property and the client’s pet. The pet care professional will hold the client's information in confidentiality, and use discretion when discussing the client with non-professionals.

The pet care professional shall not use any image or identifying information about the client, the client’s property, or the client’s pet without express permission.

The pet care professional shall not withdraw service without adequate notice for the client to obtain a suitable alternative, unless providing service is an immediate threat to the professional or another animal in the professional’s care.

The pet care professional shall observe safety of all animals in their care at all times when providing service. This includes limiting group walks to ensure safe weight/size/number considerations.

The pet care professional shall ensure that they are reachable by the client at all times while providing service, or that appropriate messaging opportunities are available, and messages answered within a reasonable amount of time. The pet care professional shall keep in contact with the client to provide reassurance/information/updates on the animal’s condition/disposition/activities at the client's request.When providing service, during normal business hours, the professional should be available to the client to discuss any matters relevent to provision of services. If the professional is not immediately available, they should return calls as soon as possible.

If provision of services includes transportation in a vehicle, the pet care professional will observe all laws in regards to operation of said vehicle. Specifically, the pet care professional

  • will observe traffic laws while animals are in the vehicle
  • shall ensure that the animal is properly restrained/protected during the trip
  • shall maintain a Blood Alcohol Level of 0.02% or less and not operate the vehicle while ability to drive is impaired by any means. Impairment while operating a motor vehicle may occur with alcohol, illicit drug use, prescription narcotic or sedative use, or over the counter medications, such as cold remedies or sleeping aids. In general, any substance which alters your ability to drive and could result in charges being laid by police is considered impairment.

If provision of services involves walking, the professional will observe laws concerning the safety of the animal. Specifically, the pet care professional

  • will not engage in jaywalking or crossing against a traffic light or sign while with the animal
  • will take additional care to ensure traffic is stopped prior to stepping off of a sidewalk
  • will shorten the animal’s leash to ensure the animal is closer to the professional and visible to motorists while crossing streets.

The pet care professional shall provide the client with an opportunity to voice concerns regarding services provided directly, or through a confidential survey.ACPSN will be providing access to a confidential customer satisfaction survey for use by pet care professionals. If you do not have a system in place, it is recommended that you use our service. Quality service is achieved by growing as a professional through objective feedback and criticism.

 

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