A leading dog grooming business has joined a national campaign calling for mandatory first aid qualifications for all UK pet professionals.
Four Paws Groom School is throwing its weight behind the Safe Pets and People campaign, alongside the likes of the RSPCA and national qualification provider the iPET Network.
The grooming salon and training school's director Belinda Morris said she believed that in order to gain the trust of customers, it was vital they knew their pets were in safe hands.
Currently it is not mandatory for any pet professional to have first aid training, but many industry chiefs are calling for the rules to change.
Belinda said: "We are proud to support Safe Pets and People and hope that by spreading the word more people will sign the petition and help us make a change.
"Dogs are part of the family and I wouldn't want to hand over my precious dogs to someone who did not know the basics of canine first aid.
"This is a serious issue of trust and I don't want my profession to get a bad reputation by people who don't have this kind of knowledge."
Four Paws Groom School opened in Ledbury in October and offers dog grooming qualifications to students from all over Herefordshire and neighbouring counties.
Often students travel a great distance for professional teaching and qualifications.
Belinda added: “It is about preventing situations from getting worse, and reacting quickly and calmly when accidents do happen and being able to advise owners on a dogs welfare.”
To find out more about Safe Pets and People and sign the petition go to www.safepetsandpeople.org
