The Companion Animal Sciences Institute is dedicated to instructing students in providing their services in an ethical manner and we urge them to adopt these core ethical principles and adhere to the guidelines for professional consultation. While CASI cannot be responsible for the actions of students and graduates, we strongly encourage them to take their ethical responsibility seriously. The principles and guidelines provided here serve to inform the public regarding CASI's stance on ethical practice and to help guide students and graduates on making ethical professional decisions. Below is the CASI Mission and Methodological Stance, followed by a set of professional consultation guidelines for the Companion Animal Behavioral Sciences Department. CASI does not condone any behavior in breech of these principles and guidelines.
Mission
The mission of The Companion Animal Sciences Institute is to provide advanced science-based education in animal behavior, training, behavior change programming and consulting, and fitness and nutritional principles in a distance format that promotes both academic knowledge development and hands-on skill practice in order to help students work toward the highest level of professional competence.
Methodological Stance
It is the stance of The Companion Animal Sciences Institute, its advisory board and instructors that animal friendly, positive reinforcement-based methods are the most useful and least harmful methods to use in animal training and behavior change programming, and most conducive to facilitate the human animal bond. Furthermore, we take the stance that aversive stimulation and positive punishment / negative reinforcement based methods are inefficient, risks serious harm and are the most likely methods to deteriorate the human animal bond. The Companion Animal Sciences Institute, while pleased to discuss these topics in Class, does not condone or endorse the use of aversive tools such as but not limited to choke chains, prong collars, electronic invisible fencing or electronic shock-collars. Nor do we condone or endorse the use of aversive methods such as but not limited to leash corrections, helicoptering, hanging, alpha-rolling, scruff-shaking, spraying the dog in the face with fluid, throwing things at the animal, hitting in any way or otherwise creating fear or pain in animals.
Companion Animal Sciences Institute
Companion Animal Behavioral Sciences Department
Core Ethical Principles and Guidelines for Professional Consultation
(last updated August 10, 2008)
Preamble
The Companion Animal Sciences Institute (Institute) Professional Practice Guidelines includes a set of guidelines and principles on which students and graduates of the Institute's Behavioral Sciences Department who practice professional animal training and behavior consulting (hereafter referred to as Professionals) conduct themselves. A set of Professional Practice Guidelines assures the public that professional animal behavior consultants will act responsibly. This public assurance likewise offers the Professional the confidence of the public.
Professionals work to develop a valid and reliable body of scientific knowledge based on research and apply that knowledge to helping companion animals and their owners live together in mutually fulfilling relationships. They strive to help companion animal guardians develop informed choices concerning companion animal behavior and problem prevention and resolution.
Principle 1. Competence
1.01. Professionals work within the bounds of their competence. They provide only services for which they are adequately capable. Competence involves having been formally educated and tested, or trained and tested by competent educators. It is also ideal that the professional have supervised practice and evaluation in the area of claimed competence.
1.02. Professionals provide services in new behavior sets only after undertaking formal education and testing in that area sufficient to understand fully the risks and benefits as well as proper application of the service.
1.03. Professionals seek to use techniques that are empirically supported and are cautious of techniques or practices that are not empirically supported by research.
1.04. Professionals refer clients to competent professionals when they, themselves, are not competent to accept a case and do so as soon as practicable.
1.05. Professionals do not perform veterinary services without a veterinary medical license. Professionals do not "diagnose," provide a "prognosis" or "treat" any medical condition and avoid where appropriate using of the terms "diagnosis," "prognosis" or "treatment" in order to avoid confusion of the professional's services with medical services. It is suggested to avoid these terms completely, but if they are used, the professional ensures that it is clear they are used in a behavioral sense and not a medical sense. Professionals do not modify mental conditions as outlined in the model veterinary code, but rather work with clients and/or their companion animals to change specific behaviors.
Principle 2. Nonmaleficence
2.01. Professionals take reasonable steps to avoid harming animals or clients behaviorally, emotionally or physically.
2.02. Professionals dedicate themselves to the benefit and well being of the companion animal over the client where a conflict of interests exists since the companion animal is the vulnerable party. If a conflict in these interests arise, the Professional clarifies to the client this ethical priority.
2.03. Professionals consider terminating a professional consulting relationship when it becomes reasonably clear that the client intends to make use of excessive aversive methods in contravention to the Professional's recommendations and cannot be convinced not to harm the animal so that their continued participation does not condone or facilitate the conduct. Professionals do not condone abuse by participating in its administration.
2.04. Professionals do not participate in spreading untrue information about fellow professionals, in particular information that suggests negative connotations about that person.
Principle 3. Informed Consent
3.01. Professionals obtain appropriate informed consent to consultation, using language that the client might reasonably be expected to understand and they confirm comprehension on an ongoing basis. The content of informed consent should include the following parameters of the relationship (a) confidentiality and its limitations, (b) fees and payment methods and schedules as well as consequences for failure to make payment for services rendered, (c) Professional's credentials and experience, (d) priority of animal's interest over client's if a conflict of interest arises, (e) goals, techniques, limitations, risks, and benefits of consultation, (f) methods of assessment, (g) client's right to refuse any part of assessment or training including any handling they feel is inappropriate and potential consequences of such refusal, (h) the client's right to ask further questions and be clear on all relevant details before consenting to the consultation relationship.
3.02. Professionals terminate a professional consulting relationship when it becomes reasonably clear that the client no longer needs the service, is not benefiting the animal or is harming the animal. In other words, Professionals do not take inappropriate advantage of clients.
Principle 4. Confidentiality
4.01. Professionals inform clients that information regarding their consultation will be kept confidential to the best of the Professional's ability except for certain limits or exceptions. Exceptions include the following circumstances: (a) if the animal is dangerous to others or is likely to be in danger from inhumane treatment, in which case the Professional must report such danger if it cannot be managed and prevented, (b) if required by law to breech confidentiality.
4.02. Professionals will obtain a written release waiver of confidentiality if the professional wishes to discuss the case with a supervisor or colleague for purposes of advice and professional guidance.
Principle 5. Advertising
5.01. Professionals will be honest about the likely results of their services and not guarantee specific changes in behavior. Professionals contract to provide their services and advice only.
5.02. Professionals are honest about their credentials and experience. They do not mislead clients or the public about credentials they possess and act to correct misunderstandings or misrepresentations that occur. In no case shall a Professional use an illegal credential.
Principle 6. Use of Animals in Research
6.01. Professionals do not cause harm to animals that are subjects of research carried out by Professionals or for which Professionals participate. Arguments regarding how valuable the information will be are irrelevant. Note that this is a much higher standard than is common in the field.
Principle 7. Resolving Ethical Issues
7.01. When a Professional is uncertain about whether a particular course of action would be a breech of this set of Professional Practice Guidelines, the Professional should consult other Professionals or CASI for guidance.
7.02. If the demands of an organization or client with which the Professional is affiliated with conflicts with this set of Professional Practice Guidelines, Professionals clarify their ethical responsibilities and resolve the conflict in favor of upholding their ethical standards as outlined here or end the professional relationship.
Principle 8. Aversive Stimulation
8.01. Professionals do not use, condone or endorse aversive tools such as, but not limited to choke chains, prong collars, electronic invisible fencing or electronic shock-collars.
8.02. Professionals do not use, condone or endorse aversive behavior change methods such as but not limited to leash corrections, helicoptering, hanging, alpha-rolling, scruff-shaking, spraying the animal in the face with fluid, throwing things at the animal, hitting in any way or otherwise creating fear or pain in animals.