Professional Animal Care Certification Council Announces Date of First Independent Certification Exams

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The Professional Animal Care Certification Council (PACCC) announced that the first independent certification exams for pet care professionals to become a Certified Professional Animal Care Provider (CPACP) will be offered November 5 to 19, 2016.

A CPACP is the person in charge of the daily handling of the animals of a professional pet care business, overseeing every aspect of an animal’s well-being while in their care. Providers work in a variety of settings that include, but are not limited to, pet care boarding or daycare facility, pet sitting, dog walking, grooming, bathing, customer service and training. PACCC recently held an informational live webinar that attracted more than 250 pet care professionals to discuss the exam process.

“We could not be more proud of the enthusiasm shown for independent certification,” said PACCC Co-Founder Susan Briggs. “With PACCC certification, the best of the best will be able to distinguish themselves in this increasingly competitive industry while giving pet parents peace of mind when choosing a pet care provider.”

The pet care provider exam content was created by a team of industry expert volunteers under the guidance of the Professional Testing Corporation (PTC), the third-party testing organization that will be administering the exam and certifying the results. To sit for the CPACP exam, applicants must first meet minimum education and hours of experience requirements plus provide letters of reference. Applicants will be randomly audited and verified by PTC.

“This is definitely not just a ‘pay a fee and get your credentials’ certification,” Briggs said. “When we launched PACCC, we did it with the determination to make it mean something—to truly make a difference in keeping pets safe.”

The deadline for taking the November CPACP exam is October 1, 2016. For more information, including exam application requirements and to register, visit www.paccert.org/provider-exam.

PACCC anticipates offering Certified Professional Animal Care Manager (CPACM) and Certified Professional Animal Care Operator (CPACO) exams in February 2017.