The mission of the Professional Animal Certification Council (PACCC) is to increase pet safety through the independent certification of pet care providers. In our “Part of the PACCC” series we interview some of these dedicated professionals who have successfully demonstrated their knowledge and experience to become certified. Our series continues with Certified Professional Animal Care Manager Laura Schorrak, CPACM. Laura was also among the very first to take our very first exam offered, so she’s also a Certified Professional Animal Care Provider (CPACP). Laura, owner of The Dog Den and The Puppy Den in Madison, Wisconsin, takes certification seriously, a trait she has passed on to her staff. To date, her two facilities collectively boast an extraordinary 10 PACCC certified pet care professionals.
Why was becoming certified important to you?
Becoming certified was important to me to show credibility in an otherwise unregulated field. One of the foundations of what we do is education – within our staff, in the community, with the dog. Our motto is “Learn and Play…Every Day!”
How have you let your clients and potential clients know about your certified status?
We made several social media posts and we have it posted on our website. We have also sent out emails and include the title on all my email signatures.
Why would you encourage other pet care professionals to become certified?
This is a field that is easy to join and claim yourself as a “professional”. True professionals look for ways to stand apart. Certification is a great way to show that you are a professional looking to meet the standards in the industry. I have encouraged all of my staff that are eligible to take the test – and to date we have 10 CPACPs (myself included) and will be looking to add more soon!
What is one thing you wish all pet parents knew about professional animal care?
Professional animal care isn’t always easy and fun. Sure, it is more fun than anything else I could imagine doing but it’s also very hard on you – physically you are very active with the dogs all day long and mentally because dogs (and pets in general) don’t have the longevity that we wish they did. Saying goodbye to your best friend that you have helped raise from puppy to senior is truly heart wrenching. But I wouldn’t trade those wonderful years in between for anything!
Thank you, Laura, for being part of the PACCC! For more on what it takes to become certified, visit paccert.org/exam-info.