Since the formation of ABTC in 2010 those who do not want to be involved have made much of the lack of legislation to regulate animal trainers and behaviourists as their reason for not engaging. It is true that successive governments have not had the appetite to introduce such legislation but each has encouraged voluntary self-regulation of the sector and the only such body referenced by Defra is ABTC.

Clearly, given the number of organisations that still resist coming under the ABTC umbrella and meeting their standards, there is still work remaining to establish comprehensive regulation but the next step is now on the horizon.

As far back as 2004 the RCVS has called for the regulation of para-professionals and since then they have been looking at ways to facilitate that. In 2007 VetNet LLN was created to support progression from vocational areas into veterinary and animal related professions. A more specific project within VetNet LLN aimed at examining the potential for such regulation amongst trainers and behaviourists gave rise to a working party from the sector in 2009, this working party subsequently transformed into the ABTC the following year.

In 2016 the RCVS created the Exemption Orders and Associates Working Party to review the activities of certain allied professions. They have created a set of principles on which the inclusion of additional exemption orders to the Veterinary Surgeons Act should be based and have subsequently created a set of recommendations for revising the existing exemption orders, creating new ones and removing defunct orders. They also created two models of ‘association’ with the Royal College to allow allied professionals to come under their regulatory umbrella under the remit of its Royal Charter, as is currently the case with veterinary nurses. Initially the focus was on Farriers and Dentistry but that has now expanded into the Manipulative Therapies and crucially, Training and Behaviour.

With roots in VetNetLLN and having long since enjoyed the support of the veterinary profession, ABTC has now had a very positive meeting with the Working Party to discuss formal association with the Royal College under these plans. The exact mechanism of such accreditation is currently being finalised and the process should be available to start early in 2019.

Once this level of formal association with the RCVS has been established there will be clear water between those regulated by ABTC and those who choose to operate under a less formal status. It is expected to further influence government recognition and could also have implications for the insurance industry.