GoodPet

15/05/2025

👉 # Be a responsible dog owner

25/04/2025

"""YOU ARE INVITED!

Registration is now open for our Colloquium: "Transforming Animal Protection Legislation in South Africa: A Constitutional Imperative".

Monday 5 & Tuesday 6 May 2025: 09am - 5:30pm each day

In person: University of Johannesburg, The Kerzner Building, 57 Bunting Rd, Cottesloe, Johannesburg
Virtual: Zoom Link to be confirmed after registration

The purpose of the event is to engage meaningfully with key stakeholders regarding the current animal protection regulatory regime, the proposed new Animal Welfare Bill currently being drafted by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), and the Manifesto released by the Animal Law Project last year.
With the intention of developing a progressive Animal Welfare Bill, which is aligned with the new constitutional dispensation, we invite persons interested in animal protection issues to attend and participate in this Colloquium.

We have an incredible list of speakers and sessions lined up, including a very special keynote address. Do not miss this!

We encourage in-person attendance, but space is limited. Please pre-register in advance. All welcome to register & attend virtually.

To register: email: [email protected] (indicate online /in-person)

Check out the Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1705574686704915""""

YOU ARE INVITED!

Registration is now open for our Colloquium: "Transforming Animal Protection Legislation in South Africa: A Constitutional Imperative".

Monday 5 & Tuesday 6 May 2025: 09am - 5:30pm each day

In person: University of Johannesburg, The Kerzner Building, 57 Bunting Rd, Cottesloe, Johannesburg
Virtual: Zoom Link to be confirmed after registration

The purpose of the event is to engage meaningfully with key stakeholders regarding the current animal protection regulatory regime, the proposed new Animal Welfare Bill currently being drafted by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), and the Manifesto released by the Animal Law Project last year.
With the intention of developing a progressive Animal Welfare Bill, which is aligned with the new constitutional dispensation, we invite persons interested in animal protection issues to attend and participate in this Colloquium.

We have an incredible list of speakers and sessions lined up, including a very special keynote address. Do not miss this!

We encourage in-person attendance, but space is limited. Please pre-register in advance. All welcome to register & attend virtually.

To register: email: [email protected] (indicate online /in-person)

Check out the Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1705574686704915

25/04/2025

YOU ARE INVITED!

Registration is now open for our Colloquium: "Transforming Animal Protection Legislation in South Africa: A Constitutional Imperative".

Monday 5 & Tuesday 6 May 2025: 09am - 5:30pm each day

In person: University of Johannesburg, The Kerzner Building, 57 Bunting Rd, Cottesloe, Johannesburg
Virtual: Zoom Link to be confirmed after registration

The purpose of the event is to engage meaningfully with key stakeholders regarding the current animal protection regulatory regime, the proposed new Animal Welfare Bill currently being drafted by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), and the Manifesto released by the Animal Law Project last year.
With the intention of developing a progressive Animal Welfare Bill, which is aligned with the new constitutional dispensation, we invite persons interested in animal protection issues to attend and participate in this Colloquium.

We have an incredible list of speakers and sessions lined up, including a very special keynote address. Do not miss this!

We encourage in-person attendance, but space is limited. Please pre-register in advance. All welcome to register & attend virtually.

To register: email: [email protected] (indicate online /in-person)

Check out the Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1705574686704915

23/04/2025

❤️🐾

23/04/2025

23/04/2025

10/04/2025

22/03/2025

New Development: International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants Officially Closes the Door on Aversive Dog Training

Another domino has fallen in favor of modern, humane, and scientifically sound dog training methods.

We want to acknowledge the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) for officially moving beyond LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) as their guiding framework and explicitly rejecting the intentional use of positive punishment.

The issue with LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) is that while it was intended to prioritize minimally intrusive, positively reinforcing methods, it still allowed trainers to justify outdated, aversive techniques, like shock collars or prong collars, as a supposed ‘last resort.’

This effectively provided cover for outdated ‘balanced’ training practices, an approach that we now clearly understand is not supported by scientific evidence. IAABC, a prominent global certifying body for behavior consultants, has now recognized this flaw and moved beyond LIMA.

Scientific evidence clearly shows aversive methods, even as a "last resort", don’t address underlying behavior causes; for example, shocking a dog who displays aggression doesn’t change their emotional response, it simply suppresses their communication.

This loophole permitted methods based in pain, fear, and intimidation, methods clearly shown by behavior science to be ineffective at addressing underlying causes of behavior and ethically indefensible.

To be clear, LIMA is not a framework endorsed by credible behavior science. In 2025, it is pseudoscientific by definition because it incorporates unsupported, aversive techniques under certain conditions. The term has become deeply problematic in professional dog training.

True scientific professionals, behavior analysts, and animal welfare experts consistently affirm that methods using aversive tools or techniques are unnecessary, ineffective long-term, and detrimental to animal welfare.

By adopting an explicitly ethical framework, IAABC has joined organizations like the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) in setting a clearer, science-based standard.

Today, only a small number of certifying organizations still explicitly allow aversive training methods or cling to the ambiguous and outdated LIMA standard.

Quick update on major certifying bodies stance on aversives:

The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) remains committed to force-free, modern methods. https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/about-us/position-statements/

International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) now explicitly rejects intentional aversive methods under their new ethical framework. https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/iaabc-free/

Association for Professional Dog Training International (APDTI) retains the term LIMA (“Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive”), and even explicitly states that aversive methods are not justified "in lieu of other effective positive reinforcement interventions and strategies." However, their guidelines do not categorically prohibit aversive methods, leaving open the possibility of their use when trainers determine other interventions are “ineffective”. This lack of absolute clarity can lead to confusion and indicates APDTI would benefit from adopting explicitly force-free terminology. https://apdt.com/membercertificant-announcement/?highlight=LIMA

Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, Inc. (CCPDT) still permits aversive methods as a “last resort”. Their outdated position is clearly at odds with current behavioral science, leaving significant room for improvement if CCPDT aims to gain credibility as a leading certifying organization. https://www.ccpdt.org/about-us/standards-practice-code-ethics/

09/02/2025

🐾 Calling All Pet Lovers! 🐾

Faieeza Khalfe from the Psychology Department (Faculty of Community and Health Sciences) at the University of the Western Cape is conducting a fascinating research study on the deep bond between humans and their pets. This study aims to highlight the vital role animals play in human well-being and could help shape policies that promote better understanding and care for animals in our communities.

Please complete the questionnaire in the link below if you have a few minutes 🙏 👇 Your participation would be greatly appreciated!

https://pulse.ly/z0d3f5gba2