Fear Free announces new certification

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Fear Free, a leader in providing science and behavioral-based education to help alleviate and prevent fear, anxiety, and stress in animals, announced the launch of its newest program, the Emergency & Urgent Care Practice Certification program.

"Since our inception, Fear Free has been dedicated to empowering veterinary professionals with tools and education to transform how care is delivered," said Jennifer Merlo, DVM, vice president, operations, in an organizational release.¹ "This new Emergency & Urgent Care Veterinary Practice Certification program changes the standard of care for pets everywhere, ensuring that even in the most critical moments, FAS is minimized. We're excited about this program and the additional initiatives we have on the horizon to further elevate veterinary care."

According to the release, the program is aiming to bridge gaps between routine care and urgent or emergency scenarios by providing veterinary teams the necessary training and resources to implement Fear Free’s techniques into high-pressure environments.¹ The certification touches base on specialized protocols for triage, treatment, talking to clients, and staff workflows as a way to ensure the physical and emotional wellbeing of patients and clients during emergency situations.

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"The launch of this program is another pivotal step in our journey to make Fear Free the global standard in veterinary care. By expanding into emergency and urgent care, we're not just growing – we're transforming the industry to ensure pets everywhere receive compassionate low-stress care when they need it most,” explained Marty Becker, DVM, founder of Fear Free in regard to the latest program addition.¹

Fear Free was founded in 2016 and provides veterinary professionals, pet professionals, animal welfare communities, and clients resources developed by veterinary and pet experts around the world. Fear Free’s goal is to maintain veterinary healthcare teams as well as pet professionals as trusted health experts through educational materials on the emotional wellbeing, enrichment, and reduction of fear, stress and anxiety in pets.² Veterinary professionals can either become Fear Free Certified individually or their clinic can become a Fear Free Certified clinic. Currently, Fear Free offers Fear Free Certified Veterinary General Practice, with Fear Free Certified Veterinary HouseCall practice apparently on the horizon.

"Since 2018, we've been able to reduce [Fear, anxiety, and stress] in Fear Free Certified Veterinary Practices by training every team member on our standards," said TD Steward, Director, Growth Strategies, in the release.¹ "With the launch of this program, we're giving ER and Urgent Care practices an opportunity to adopt these standards in critical situations. This program allows teams to deliver the same exceptional level of care that pet owners have come to expect, even in the most challenging circumstances."

Veterinary professionals in attendance at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo conference (VMX) can learn more about the new program at the Fear Free booth in the expo hall. Anyone not in attendance at VMX can learn more on the Fear Free website.

References

1. Fear Free® Expands Reach with the Launch of Emergency & Urgent Care Veterinary Practice Certification. News release. Fear Free. January 27, 2025. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.prweb.com/releases/fear-free-expands-reach-with-the-launch-of-emergency--urgent-care-veterinary-practice-certification-302360457.html
2. Fear Free. What is Fear Free & Why Is It Important? Fear Free. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://fearfreepets.com/about/what-is-fear-free/