CAPNA to train, certify teams at its 63 hospitals in Fear Free veterinary visits

VCA-owned veterinary group commits to preventing fear, anxiety, and stress in pets

Fear Free has a powerful new member of its family of veterinary practices dedicated to preventing and treating fear, anxiety, and stress in pets seeking veterinary care.

Companion Animal Practices North America, LLC, (CAPNA), which was acquired by VCA last year, has committed to enroll staff at its 63 practices in the Fear Free training and certification course. The initiative is designed to “take the the ‘pet’ out of ‘petrified'” and has had more than 16,000 professionals enrolled since it launched in April of 2016.

Dr. Dan Brod, Vice-President of Strategic Opportunities for CAPNA, first learned about Fear Free when team members at two of their hospitals became certified. “The two practices informed us of the benefits to pets, their owners and the hospital,” he said. “The initiative makes total sense for pets and the hospital team. If you are not a Fear Free veterinarian or technician, you could still be feared by pets.  No one wants that.”

Fear Free was founded by Dr. Marty Becker. “CAPNA is a progressive, forward-thinking practice group that understands no one goes into veterinary medicine to make things worse for animals,” he said. “We’ve learned that it’s not possible to provide for the physical well-being of pets while disregarding their emotional well-being, and CAPNA’s commitment to Fear Free is a powerful indicator that this movement is truly inevitable.”

The Fear Free courses were designed based on the input of its 160-member advisory panel, comprised of board-certified veterinary behaviorists, veterinary technician behavior specialists, board-certified veterinary anesthetists, well-known veterinary practice management experts, and boarded veterinary practitioners experienced in Fear Free methods, hospital and animal shelter designers, and other experts.

“Having an environment that is in the pet’s best interest is a win for everyone,” Brod said. “CAPNA is proud to bring forward the Fear Free initiative to our practices. This aligns perfectly with our goal of providing superior, compassionate care; every pet, every client, every time.”

Veterinary professionals can visit fearfreepets.com to sign up and begin Fear Free Certification.