August 2019

 

Certified Professional Spotlight

Born and raised in New Brunswick, Canada, Stephanie Shipley opened Paw & Order Inc. in December 2009 after having dreamed of helping, playing and working with dogs as a career since she was a young child. After spending much of her adult life in both the operations and human resource areas of the hospitality industry for Delta Hotels and Marriott International with a staff of 300+ employees, it was an easy decision to make the leap from working in the human hospitality field to providing exceptional pet hospitality. Stephanie started training dogs to play flyball many years ago but soon became much more interested in the specialty of Canine Communication and Behaviour. She is heavily involved with local dog rescue and rehabilitation for local, provincial and national organizations. Stephanie initially set out to change the way that pet care is viewed in her own community on the east coast of Canada by raising the bar through training, education and certification.

Stephanie operates her own pet care facility, Paw & Order, and provides facility consulting services all over North America through Higher Paws. When not at the facility, her time is spent with her 4-month twin girls, Lincoln and Lennon. She enjoys speaking with groups ranging from kindergarten age to seniors about responsible pet ownership, canine communication, providing enrichment for family pets, entrepreneurship and human resources. She does this all while lobbying for tougher animal protection legislation. She is a Certified Animal Care Provider, a Certified Animal Care Operator and a Certified PetTech Instructor.

PACCC: How did you find out about PACCC?

Stephanie: I found out about PACCC while scrolling through Facebook several years ago and then had the opportunity to meet some of the Board Members while attending a conference in Hershey, PA.

PACCC: What was your motivation for becoming a CPACP and a CPACO?

Stephanie: From the first moment that I realized there existed a third-party independent certification for the pet care industry, I knew that I had to be a part of it. In a virtually unregulated industry, the public can’t tell the difference from a company’s Facebook page of website whether they are actually qualified to care for people’s pets. All along I was telling my clients that I was good at what I was doing and that I knew what I was doing but I had no way to actually prove it to them before asking them to trust me to love and care for their furry family member. PACCC certification allows me to say “Don’t believe me because I can tell you anything I want. Believe this!” and I show them my certification.

PACCC: Has being certified made a change to your business? Relationships with staff or clients? Reputation in the community?

Stephanie: Most definitely!! I proudly boast on every medium available that my facility has four PACCC Certified team members and five certifications – 4 CPACPs and Canada’s only CPACO! Our clients have supported us every step of the way and are so supportive of our efforts to raise the bar for pet care in our community. They tell their family and their friends that certification is a big reason why they picked us from the list on Google when they searched for pet care. The community has taken notice of us and we are preceded by our excellent reputation. We stand very proud of our accomplishment of becoming certified professionals, our clients stand tall beside us because they are proud of how serious we take pet care and our community has recognized us as a leader in pet care.

PACCC: Would you recommend certification to other pet care professionals? If so, why? If not, why not?

Stephanie: I most definitely recommend sitting for the PACCC Exam. It has changed everything in our business for the better! Our staff are speaking to our clients and potential clients with more pride than ever before. We are getting better qualified candidates applying to work with us. Our clients are boasting about our accomplishments and sharing in our success and our company name is recognized throughout our city.

PACCC: Anything else you would like to add?

Stephanie: In business I hate spending money. As a matter of fact, I refuse to spend any money. Instead of spending it I choose to invest it. The difference between spending and investing is that with any investment there is always a return (ROI). PACCC certification has been one of the best investments I have ever made since the returns have been significant with no signs of slowing down any time soon. I just sent in my CEUs for my CPACP renewal and stand very tall and proud of this accomplishment.

 

Congratulations New Certified Pros!

In June, PACCC had another group of exceptional pet care providers, managers and operators join the list of certified professionals who have stepped forward to prove their skills and body of knowledge in the pet care industry. Congratulations to these newly certified pet care industry professionals:

 

Ryan Bretl, CPACP – Henrico, VA
Michael Cillen-Bedoya, CPACP – Orlando, FL
Kathryn Cushing, CPACP – Inverness, IL
Zachary Fuqua, CPACP – North Chesterfield, VA
Jessica Josefchuk, CPACP – Calgary, AB
Kathleen Lawyer, CPACP – Richmond, VA
Elizabeth Linquist, CPACP – Burlington, IA
Richard Martinson, CPACP – Richmond, VA
Mary Medina, CPACP – Richmond, VA
Mary Mullen, CPACP – Richmond, VA
Melissa Peters, CPACP – Lykens, PA
Schylar Postle, CPACP – Ricjmond, VT
Glenda Schroeder, CPACP – Crozier, VA
Jessica Scott, CPACP – Burlington, IA
Daniel Stirling, CPACP – Richmond, VA

Kelley Nelson, CPACM – New Orleans, LA

Michelle Sparacino, CPACM – Clinton, MD

Stephanie Tausher, CPACM – Evansville, WI

Jane Budnick, CPACO – St. Louis, MO
Dawn Hallgren, CPACO – Amarillo, TX
Kimberley Vaughn, CPACO – Winston Salem, NC

Next PACC Exams

Are you ready to join the PACCC?

The final round of PACCC exams in 2019 is taking place November 9 – 23, 2019. Registration for this testing window closes on October 11, 2019.

Are you headed to the IBPSA Conference in Palm Springs? PACCC will be there and can help you through the registration process. All you need to do is bring along your completed attestation forms and we will get you registered to sit for the November Exam. Need a copy of the attestation form? No problem, just click the link below.

Click Here to Download an Attestation Form for your Exam

Don’t forget that if your organization uses Gingr as your facility management software OR if your facility belongs to The Dog Gurus Profit Network, your staff qualify for a discounted exam registration fee.

Are you “on the fence” and aren’t sure how to prepare for the exam? PACCC doesn’t want you to miss out on being an industry leader and will put you in touch with existing PACCC certified professionals via Study Group Facebook Groups. These groups discuss best practices and resources that were found to be beneficial. They also provide a platform to ask questions throughout the exam preparation process. Take a moment to join a Study Group right now!

Click Here to Join a PACCC Study Group

In addition to the creation of the PACCC Study Groups, PACCC has reached out to many of our already certified professionals to ask them which resources they found most valuable when preparing to take the exam. We have compiled the results, sought out the best prices, and now have many of those recommended resources available to order directly on the PACCC website. With a single click, you can order these resources AND a portion of the proceeds will be donated to PACCC to further our message of the importance of certification in our industry.

Click Here for Recommended Resource Materials

Exams: November 9-23, 2019 | Registration Deadline: October 11, 2019

 

Continuing Education Deadlines

Reminder for approved CEU programs

Don’t delay in tracking CEUs and submitting them for re-certification! Those CPACPs who became certified in 2016 need to renew their certification with approved CEUs by the end of December 2019. This will extend their current CPACP certification for three years. The Recertification Handbook and the CEU Tracking Form cam be downloaded here: https://paccert.org/recertification/

There are several new educational programs recently approved as PACCC CEUs and a listing of all eligible courses and webinars can be found at https://paccert.org/ceu-approved/

 

Upcoming Events

We excited to have several PACCC Board Members scheduled to attend The Dog Gurus Business Breakthrough Workshop in Colorado Springs, CO September 11 – 12, 2019. On October 1 – 3, we will be live at the PACCC Booth at the IBPSA Conference in Palm Springs, CA. Be sure to visit us at these two wonderful events to have your questions answered and/or register for the next exam period. If you are already certified, we would love to put some faces to names and provide you with a PACCC Certified ribbon to attach to your name badge.

 

PACCC Hosted Webinars

Unfortunately, our last webinar had some significant technical issues that prevented us from going live at the scheduled time however, we are pleased to say that Annette Uda with Pet Airapy will soon be recording the webinar for PACCC to share with our followers. Stay tuned for more details about our upcoming webinar with PetTech’s, Thom Somes.

All of the PACCC hosted webinars are available at no cost on the PACCC website for you to view and share and all are approved for PACCC CEUs.

If you are planning to attend a local pet expo of pet related event, we would love to hear about it! Maybe you would benefit from some PACCC information or handouts to tell the pet parents in your community all out PACCC!

PACCC Supporter Profile

Meet The Dog Gurus

As a not-for-profit organization, we rely heavily on the support of individuals and organizations to assist in spreading the word about the importance of obtaining independent certification in the pet care industry. As such, we would like to share with you some information about these generous organizations who support PACCC’s mission and vision.

Since the creation of PACCC, The Dog Gurus (TDG) have shared our vision of independent third-party certification, making it “Safer in a PACCC”. Offering a wide variety of training programs and consulting services, they’ve made a commitment to helping pet care professionals create and maintain a healthier and safer environment for their furry clients. They are truly the industry experts in safe off-leash play!

Social Media Updates

Share your pictures, memes, questions and advice!

The PACCC Social Media sites have taken off in the past few months thanks to our loyal supporters and ever-growing list of certified industry professionals. We are now boasting more than 644 Instagram followers and 1,743 Fans on Facebook. We would love to see your pictures, memes, questions and advice – so visit one of these sites today and say hi.

 

Geared specifically for pet care providers, PACCC encourages credible pet care provides to not only tell their clients that they provide exceptional care but prove it by taking a PACCC exam. If you missed it, check it out here.

As a pet parent, you can share this link with your local pet care provider.

 

Where Are You?

Over the past few months, PACCC Board Members have been reaching out to our certified professionals to gain insight about how PACCC can better assist with marketing initiatives and ask for exam preparation recommendations. We’ve had some wonderful discussions with our CPACPs, CPACMs and CPACOs but there are some that we were not able to reach due to a change in contact information. Please take a few moments to make sure PACCC has your most up to date information. With a quick click, you can keep your information up to date.

Click Here to Update Your Information with PACCC

 

Have Something to Say?

Share your knowledge!

PACCC is always open to blogs devoted to making pets safe. If you’re a writer who would like to donate an educational blog, contact us with your idea! 

 

MAY 2019

 

Certified Professional Spotlight

Meet Kelsea Shaw, CPACP

Kelsea Shaw, CPACP, of Corpus Christi, Texas, lives in her hometown with her girlfriend of over 10 years and their 4-legged fur kids: 10-year old terrier mix, Charlestein McFarley, and 3-year old tuxedo cat, Bean Nugget. Kelsea’s career in pet care began in 2010 when she worked as a kennel tech and dog bather and supervised small group play at The Pooch Pad. In 2011, she joined the team at Barkaritaville Pet Resort, starting as receptionist and moving into lodging, bathing, and daycare before being promoted to Lodging Manager in 2017 and then to Operations Specialist in 2018. Her breadth of experience makes her perfectly suited for her current role where she fills in for all departments (Lodging, Customer Service, Daycare, Bathing), fine tunes department processes, writes protocols, and assists with administrative needs. As Kelsea puts it, “you name it, I probably do it!”

Through education and certification, Kelsea has acquired a wide range of credentials to help ensure the safety of the pets in her care including becoming a Certified Professional Animal Care Provider (CPACP) in April 2018.

Learn more about Kelsea and why she became PACCC certified on the blog…

Certified Professional Spotlight: Kelsea Shaw

Exam Update

Next exam dates and getting ready

Another group of dedicated pet care professionals recently took the leap to become part of the elite PACCC and we will be announcing their accomplishment once all of the results are in and we can celebrate these professionals together.

Are you ready to join the PACCC?

The next round of PACCC exams takes place June 15-29, 2019, but registration for this testing window closes on May 15, 2019. There is also an exam window in November 2019 but why wait?

Are you “on the fence” and aren’t sure what or how to study or prepare for the exam?

PACCC doesn’t want you to miss out on being an industry leader. Let us put you in touch with pet care professional who have successfully taken the exam via PACCC Study Groups on Facebook led by CPACPs, CPACMs, and CPACOs. These groups will allow for some discussion about various exam topics, best practices, resources that were found to be beneficial, and a moderator to have your questions answered throughout the exam preparation process. If you are a certified professional and would be interested in moderating one of the three Facebook Study Groups, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch with us at info@paccert.org by May 14th.

Need recommended resources to prepare?

In addition to the creation of the PACCC Study Groups, PACCC has reached out to many of our already certified professionals to ask them which resources they found most valuable when preparing to take the exam. We have compiled the results, sought out the best prices, and now have many of those recommended resources available to order directly on the PACCC website. With a single click, you can order some of these resources AND a portion of the proceeds will come back to PACCC to further our message of the importance of certification in our industry. Visit https://paccert.org/paccc-prep for details.

 

CEU Update/Deadlines

Tips and reminders to stay certified

Those CPACPs who became certified in 2016 need to renew your certification with approved CEUs by the end of December 2019! This will extend your current CPACP certification for another 3 years. The Recertification Handbook and the CEU Tracking Form are on the PACCC website. You can submit your Application for Recertification online. Download the Recertification Handbook at https://paccert.org/recertification. You may very well already have all of the CEUs you need to extend your certification another 3 years! Don’t delay in tracking those CEUs and submitting them for recertification.

 

Upcoming Events

Free Webinar

WHAT: Using Online Technologies to Ensure the Health, Safety & Well-being of Pets in Your Pet Care Facility

This webinar will explore the use of technology to help track and maintain health and safety in pet care facilities. Co-presenters Gray Moore, owner and operator of Dog Tired Dog Enrichment Center, and Andy Gale, Director of Customer Consultation at Gingr software, will explore the use of software and other tools in data-tracking, communication, training, employee-accountability, and incident management.

WHEN: May 16, 2019 at 11:00 EST

WHERE: Online. This webinar is FREE but you must register to be able to access. REGISTER HERE. This webinar has been approved for 1 PACCC CEU.

Free Webinar

WHAT: Get Ahead of the Cough presented by Annette Uda from PetAirapy taking place in June 2019. Watch for registration details hitting your Inbox soon.

The PACCC Live!

PACCC had a terrific spring gaining great exposure at some fabulous events. We had the pleasure of meeting some of the industry’s top professionals at the Dog Gurus Business Growth & Dog Behavior Summit that took place March 27-28 in San Antonio, Texas. Enjoyed our conversations about the importance of obtaining third party independent certification. We also had a wonderful time hosting many of you at the PACCC booth at the Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo West April 29-May 2 in Burbank, California.

If you plan to attend a local pet expo or pet related event, we would love to hear all about it! Maybe you would benefit from some PACCC information or handouts to tell the pet parents in your community all about PACCC? If so, please contact Alana at alana.paccc@gmail.com for official ready-to-print marketing materials.

 

PACCC Supporter Profile

As a not-for-profit organization, we rely heavily on the support of individuals and organizations to assist PACCC in spreading the word about the importance of obtaining independent certification in the pet care industry. Which is why we would love to share with you some information about these generous organizations that believe in PACCC’s mission and vision. Meet…

 

Pet Tech is a long-time supporter of PACCC and is currently our 2019 Platinum Sponsor. Pet Tech has assisted PACCC to increase awareness about the importance of independent certification through the distribution of PACCC materials to pet professionals and pet parents around the globe.

Did you know that April was Pet First Aid Awareness month but the skills of Pet CPR & First Aid are timeless? Would you be able to help your pet in an emergency? If they were choking? Bleeding? Not breathing?

With a series of well-established courses geared to “Improving the Quality of Pets’ Lives, One Pet Parent at a Time”™, Pet Tech is a premiere education provider with several of their courses already approved for the PACCC CEU program. Whether it’s their full 8-hour PetSaver Program, 5+ hour Pet First Aid & CPR Course, the 90-minute Hiking & Walking class, or the comprehensive 3-day Pet Tech Instructor Training, the information is up to date and easy to understand and remember. Look for a listing of available PetTech courses near you on their website https://pettech.net.

Don’t see a course near you? PetTech Instructors are so committed to getting the education into the pet community that they may be available to travel to your area to conduct a session tailored to your group’s needs as pet parents or pet care professionals. Just ask!

PACCC sincerely thanks Thom, Cindy and the entire Pet Tech family for their ongoing daily support of PACCC.

Getting Social

The PACCC social media sites have exploded in the past few months thanks to our loyal supporters and ever-growing list of certified industry professionals.We are now boasting more than 630 Instagram followers and 1,668 followers on Facebook. We would love to see your pictures, memes, questions and advice, so visit one of these sites today (see icon links, below) and say “hi.”

 

Geared specifically for pet care providers, PACCC encourages credible pet care provides to not only tell their clients that they provide exceptional care but to take a few hours to take one of the 3 exams (Provider, Manager or Operator) to prove their knowledge. If you missed it, you can check it out here.

As a pet parent, you can share this link with your local pet care provider.

Where Are You?

Over the past few months, PACCC Board Members have been reaching out to our certified professionals to gain insight about how PACCC can better assist with marketing initiatives and to ask some key questions about what they would recommend to individuals preparing for the exam. We have had some wonderful discussions with our CPACPs, CPACMs and CPACOs but there are some that we were not able to reach due to a change in contact information. Please take a few moments to make sure PACCC has your most up to date information.

Simply head to https://paccert.org/certified/ to keep us up to date with your contact information.

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Certified Professional Spotlight

Meet Kari Campbell, CPACO

Born in Santiago, Chile, and raised in Washington, Kari Campbell’s unique upbringing is matched by her unique professional experience as an accomplished opera singer, with an educational background in vocal performance. Having toured through Japan, Europe, and the United States, she has performed with several opera companies and orchestras. Although her education and singing experiences have been very rewarding, her lifelong dream has been to work with animals. In 2005, Kari founded Dog Tired Doggie Daycare in Anchorage, Alaska. Kari’s facility is a bright and vibrant place for pups to play, with the health, safety, and well-being of her guests remaining her top priority. Her passion is to provide the highest level of care for her clients through education, compassion, and communication. She shares her life with a Pug/Boxer, Tobe, and a French Bulldog, Newton.

Learn more about Kari and why she became PACCC certified on our blog.

 

Exam Update

Don’t get the chance to travel often but need to accumulate CEUs? Did you know that there are different ways that you can earn CEUs aside from courses and conferences? For example, you might learn how to write some of the questions that will appear on future exams. If this is of interest to you, please get in touch with our Exam Committee chairperson, Anna Torres-Radle at anna@fieldstoneanimalinn.com. Be sure to consult the Recertification Handbook for more continuing education information.

PACCC had a terrific summer and fall in 2018 gaining great exposure at some fabulous events. You may have seen us at the IBPSA Pet Care Services Educational Conference & Trade Show in St. Louis, Missouri, or at the Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We had a terrific response from the attendees and were able to put some certified names to faces who visited with us. We are also planning to meet some more of our certified professionals at The Dog Gurus Business Growth & Dog Behavior Summit taking place March 27-28, 2019, in San Antonio, Texas, and others at the Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo West April 29 – May 2, 2019, in Burbank, California.

If you plan to attend a local pet expo or pet related event, we would love to hear all about it! Maybe you would benefit from some PACCC information or handouts to tell the pet parents in your community all about PACCC? If so, please contact Alana at alana.paccc@gmail.com for official ready-to-print marketing materials.

 

As a not-for-profit organization, we rely heavily on the support of individuals and organizations to assist PACCC in spreading the word about the importance of obtaining independent certification in the pet care industry. Which is why we would love to share with you some information about these generous organizations that believe in PACCC’s mission and vision. Meet…

 

 

Dog*Biz has been an invaluable supporter of PACCC by helping people in the pet industry understand the importance of certification. Dog*Biz offers a wide array of resources for pet care professionals, from website and logo design to various toolkits for just about every aspect of a pet care business including dog trainers, walkers, and sitters, as well as for boarding and daycare facilities. Recently, Dog*Biz launched Dog Walking Academy (DWA, a fantastic program (also approved for 24 PACCC CEUs) ) that can be taken either by attending a 3-day live session in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia OR online at your own pace with the opportunity to attend conference calls to have your individual questions answered.

Dog*Biz recently celebrated their 15th successful year in business and offers an excellent support network for their clients. They remain committed to community education and, since launching the first class of its kind in 2004, continue to set the bar for dog walking education..

Pro tip: You can subscribe to their “Monthly Minute” business tip for trainers and dog professional and/or “Two Feet Forward” business and walking tips for dog walkers. Check out their website at dogbizsuccess.com.

 

We Couldn’t Do It Without You

PACCC is a non-profit on a safe pet mission and we couldn’t do it without you. Whether you donate once or you become one of our monthly donors, thank you! We make every penny count for the pets.