PROFESSIONAL FIRST AID INTERVENTION
There is often concern about what you can and cannot do in a first aid capacity. The grey area comes because we have two important pieces of legislation – the Welfare Act and the Law itself – which are a little different. The Welfare Act says that anybody can carry out first aid in an emergency situation with the express intention of saving or helping the animal. The Law says that only a qualified veterinary professional or the owner of the pet is allowed to diagnose or treat that animal.
This often causes consternation as to whether professionals such as Groomers, Pet Sitters, Walkers etc are legally allowed to do anything to help the animals in their care. So, with that in mind, perhaps the best suggestion would be that you have your client complete a basic form giving permission for emergency first aid to be carried out if required. I attach a document which should cover such situations on which your client can fill in their information and delete any parts with which they are not happy to comply.
Obviously, this is merely a template to point you in the right direction. Feel free to create your own version covering the requirements you feel are appropriate to your line of business and the needs of your clientele.
Hopefully, this will give not just the professional but also their clients the peace of mind to know exactly what can and cannot be expected.
