Pet Professional Guild British Isles Appoints Special Council Members to Spread Force Free Training

TAMPA, Fla. - July 14, 2015 - PRLog -- Tampa, FL – The Pet Professional Guild British Isles (PPGBI) has announced the appointment of three leading pet industry experts, Craig MacLellan, Debbie Matthews and Prof. Paul McGreevy, to its Special Council with immediate effect.

Formed in April 2015, PPGBI’s goal is to address the needs of the pet-owning community and force-free pet professionals in the region, and to educate pet professionals and owners alike that forceful and aversive methods are outdated, scientifically unsound and, ultimately, ineffectual. PPGBI’s Special Council members endorse PPGBI and its Guiding Principles, which state that no shock, pain, choke, prong, fear, physical force, physical molding or compulsion-based methods are ever employed in the training of or caring for a pet.

Each Special Council member has a vast range of experience and knowledge to contribute in the ongoing education and engagement of force-free pet care and training methods industry-wide. Craig MacLellan is CEO and founder of Veterans with Dogs, a UK charitable organization, which has developed programs for the training of assistance dogs and companion animals for veterans with trauma-related mental health conditions. Debbie Matthews is the founder of Vets Get Scanning on the basis of her discovery that vets do not routinely scan dogs to check if they are missing or have been stolen because there is currently no legal obligation to do so. Prof. Paul McGreevy BVSc PhD is a veterinarian and ethologist, professor of animal behavior and animal welfare science at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, and an established author.

“The addition of these three highly respected, prominent specialists in the field of animal behavior and training to PPGBI’s Special Council is of immense value as we move forward with our mission to promote force-free training across the board,” said Niki Tudge, president of PPGBI’s parent organization, Pet Professional Guild (PPG). “I am certain that these partnerships will yield great success for all parties as we move forward together to educate and engage pet professionals and owners in the British Isles region.”

PPG is holding its inaugural educational summit in Tampa, Florida from November 11-13, 2015.

About The Pet Professional Guild British Isles

The Pet Professional Guild British Isles was launched in April, 2015 as an overseas branch of the US-based Pet Professional Guild, a 501(c)6 a member organization founded on the principles of force-free training and pet care. Its membership represents pet industry professionals who are committed to force-free training, pet care philosophies, practices and methods. Pet Professional Guild members understand force-free to mean: no shock, no pain, no choke, no fear, no physical force, no physical molding, and that no compulsion-based methods are employed to train or care for a pet.

About Craig MacLellan

Craig MacLellan is CEO and founder of Veterans with Dogs,  a UK charitable organization, which has developed programs for the training of assistance dogs and companion animals for veterans with trauma-related mental-health conditions. He served in both the British Royal Marines and Army and founded Veterans with Dogs in 2012, after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. His dog, Fudge, played a pivotal role in his recovery and he realized what an important role dogs could play in helping servicemen and women rehabilitate back into civilian life.

About Debbie Matthews

Debbie Matthews is the founder of Vets Get Scanning, on the basis of her discovery that vets do not routinely scan dogs to check if they are missing or have been stolen because there is currently no legal obligation to do so. She is a member of the Microchip Alliance, which has campaigned for compulsory micro-chipping, and recently helped form the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance.

About Prof. Paul McGreevy

Paul McGreevy BVSc PhD is a veterinarian and ethologist. He is professor of animal behavior and animal welfare science at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Veterinary Science,  author of over 170 scientific publications and six books; co-founder and honorary fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science.