Pet Professional Guild announces organizational changes for 2018

TAMPA, Fla. - Jan. 18, 2018 - PRLog -- The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is to divide its current steering committee by establishing a separate steering committee for the Pet Professional Guild British Isles (PPGBI). The move aims to meet the growing needs of the British Isles market. In addition, PPG has appointed two new steering committee members to its North America-based team. All changes are being made with immediate effect as part of PPG's ongoing efforts to promote humane, force-free training methods for all pets in a currently unregulated industry.

Both committees are tasked with driving new projects, building awareness of scientifically sound, humane training methods for animals, educating both pet professionals and the pet owning public in all matters related to training and behavior, as well as expanding core membership worldwide. In the British Isles, Sam Redmond, Dayle Pierce, Kathie Gregory, Nathan Watson, Michelle Masters,  Dayle Pierce, Nathan Watson and Ewa Highland will join existing North America PPG steering committee members Claire Staines and Carole Husein, who will now officially move to the PPGBI division. PPGBI membership manager, Louise Stapleton-Frappell will take a seat on both committees.

In North America, meanwhile, Michelle Martiya, chairwoman of PPG's recently-formed equine committee, and Kelly Lee, chairwoman of its newly-formed shelter and rescue committee, officially join the steering committee to enhance communication between the various divisions and ensure that an ambitious program of goals for the year can be met. Existing steering committee members Kelly Fahey, Paula Garber, Debra Millikan, Susan Nilson, Angelica Steinker remain in place for another term, alongside Stapleton-Frappell, while Sam Wike steps down.

"By dividing the steering committee this way, we can make sure we are better servicing our British Isles-based members, whose numbers are growing rapidly, as well as educate more of the pet owning public in that region on science-based, force-free training methods," said PPG president, Niki Tudge. "In addition, as the only membership organization in North America whose guiding principles advocate against the use of shock, pain, force and fear under the guise of training, behavior modification, management and care for pets, we continue to grow and widen our influence, ensuring we provide the highest standard of up-to-date information and education industry-wide, as well as to pet owners themselves."

Established in 2012, PPG continues to go from strength to strength, reporting ongoing growth in membership numbers last year, a successful launch of the Shock-Free Coalition, an international advocacy program designed to eliminate the use of shock in animal training from the supply chain, a host of well-attended and respected annual educational summits, as well as an inaugural training and behavior workshop to take place at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah on April 22-26, 2018, and its first-ever Australian summit, in Sydney, New South Wales on July 27-29, 2018.

About The Pet Professional Guild

The Pet Professional Guild is 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 that shock, pain, choke, fear, physical force, and/or compulsion-based methods are never employed to train or care for a pet. Learn more here https://petprofessionalguild.com/ and for the British Isles here https://petprofessionalguild.co.uk/