Fear Free Certified Practice

What Does Fear Free Mean?

Fear Free is a movement within the veterinary community focused on reducing the fear, anxiety, and stress that pets often experience during veterinary visits. Our goal at Loyal Companions is to create a welcoming, comforting environment that helps make every visit simple and stress-free, for both pets and their humans.

As a Fear Free Certified Practice, every aspect of Loyal Companions reflects Fear Free principles, from our culture and leadership to client education, staff training, facility design, and patient interactions. Our hospital underwent a rigorous review and on-site evaluation, successfully meeting Fear Free standards with excellence. We are proud to continue our mission to elevate veterinary care and ensure every patient feels safe and loved.

How Does Fear Free Work?

Thanks to cutting-edge behavioral and scientific research, veterinary care can now be a calm and even enjoyable experience for pets. Our team at Loyal Companions has studied the effects of music, colors, body language, scents, and environmental design on dogs and cats to create a soothing experience from start to finish.

During visits, our medical team allows pets to set the pace and initiate interaction. With patience and plenty of treats, checkups can feel more like a game than a medical exam. From the very first visit, we take time to get to know each pet’s individual preferences so their care is tailored to their unique personality and comfort level.

Every detail of our hospital has been designed with pets in mind. The music playing throughout our facility has been shown to calm both dogs and cats. Our color choices are based on what animals find visually soothing, and our hospital scenting system uses fragrances that relax pets without being noticeable to humans. Each member of our team is trained in low-stress handling techniques, ensuring pets remain calm and comfortable throughout exams and procedures.

At Loyal Companions, your pet’s emotional well-being is just as important as their physical health.

How is Loyal Companions Designed Differently?

From the moment pets walk through our doors, they are observing and reacting to their surroundings. At Loyal Companions, we’ve designed every space to support calm and comfort.

Every element of our hospital, layout, lighting, sounds, and scents, has been chosen to reduce stress and promote a sense of ease for our patients.

Why is Fear Free Care Important?

Relaxed, happy pets receive better medical care. When animals are calm, their vital signs and diagnostic results, such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and blood values, are more accurate. Fear and stress can distort these results and make examination more difficult.

By reducing anxiety, we can perform more precise exams, make more confident medical decisions, and provide truly compassionate care. And when pets feel comfortable visiting us, their owners experience less stress too. Instead of dreading vet visits, families can look forward to them, knowing their pets will be treated with kindness, patience, and understanding.

At Loyal Companions, Fear Free care isn’t just a philosophy, it’s at the heart of everything we do. We believe that when pets experience veterinary care without fear, they live healthier, happier, and longer lives.