Fear Free Certified Angell Professionals

Angell Animal Medical Center’s Fear Free Certified Professionals

The mission of the MSPCA-Angell is to protect animals, relieve their suffering, advance their health and welfare, prevent cruelty, and work for a just and compassionate society.

Our goal is to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in our patients. One way we achieve this is through Fear Free methods. Many members of our Angell team have undergone training to become Fear Free Certified professionals.

Overview of Fear Free Standards

To become a Fear Free Certified professional, team members must first undergo 9 hours of formal training on how to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in patients. Coursework covers a wide range of topics such as therapeutics, alternative therapies, behavior management products, and pharmaceuticals that may aid in reducing fear and stress during car travel and veterinary visits, as well as promoting low-stress, gentle control for handling and veterinary procedures. Dr. Hamilton-Seid of the MSPCA-Angell West team provides more information on Fear Free methods in her article.

Angell is proud to have Fear Free professionals on our team

We work hard to provide the best care to our patients and are committed to looking after our patients’ physical and emotional well-being. Angell’s “Kitty Kruiser” carts and feline friendly exam rooms are additional steps we have taken to ease the stress of our patients. Click here to learn more about our Feline Friendly initiatives.

The Fear Free Veterinary Visit

During a typical Fear Free veterinary visit, the practice team members might use the following strategies:

• Provide non-slip surfaces for patients to stand/rest on to improve balance and stability
• Initially, avoid eye contact with pets and focus on clients instead
• Use gentle pressure to soothe the pet, using a warm towel or compression garment
• Create a calming environment with pheromone diffusers
• Use mobile check in away from the busy front desk
• Actively work to reduce stressful noises
• Use elevated Kitty Kruisers, carrier covers, and feline friendly exam rooms
• Prescribe anti-anxiety or other calming medications & supplements
• If a patient is showing excessive signs of fear, anxiety, or stress, the team may delay or postpone the exam/procedure until a time when the pet is calmer and more relaxed

For more tips, visit fearfreepets.com