Animal Love Pet First Aid

Vet-led pet first aid training for owners and professionals

Animal Love is a training provider focused on pet first aid, health and well-being. Its courses are taught and produced by veterinary surgeon Dr Sophie Bell BVMS MRCVS, who is also described as a writer, dog groomer and teacher. The organisation states that it provides one of the only vet-taught pet first-aid courses in the UK.

The offer is aimed at both pet owners and people working in pet-related businesses. Training is delivered through online courses, face-to-face classroom courses, virtual classroom courses and educational webinars.

Course formats and delivery

Classroom courses run for six hours and include a student booklet and a professional certificate. They are held at various locations around the country, and the organisation also runs virtual classroom courses via Zoom. The content covers administering first aid to pets, dealing with emergencies, common injuries, signs and symptoms of illness, health checks and further related topics.

Online courses are video-based and available from £10. Participants can log in and out as many times as they like and complete the material at their own pace, with access for one year. The courses include videos, demonstrations and quizzes that can be paused and rewound, and some include printable notes, quizzes and a posted certificate upon completion. All online courses are described as CPD accredited.

Animal Love also offers educational webinars delivered via Zoom on a range of topics. The site listed an Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome webinar for October 15th at 6.30pm at the time of writing.

Course catalogue

The online catalogue is organised by species and audience:

• Dogs: Dog First Aid & Health; Oral & Dental Health in Dogs & Cats; Health & Welfare in the Groom Room; Puppies – The Young Dog; Dog & Cat Ear Disease; Dog Groomers Webinar Series; Walkers & Boarders Webinar Series; Dog & Cat Dementia; Heads, Bodies, Bums & Toes; CPR; Podgy Dogs & Fat Cats; Entire Dogs.
• Cats: Cat First Aid & Health; Cat & Dog Ear Disease; Cat & Dog Dementia; Heads, Bodies, Bums & Toes; Fat Cats & Podgy Dogs.
• Rabbits: Healthy Bunnies webinar.
• Children's courses: The Dog Expert and The Hamster Expert.

There is also an Ofqual Level 3 Pet First Aid course, described as an OCN course focused on dog first aid.

Hosting a course and CPD recognition

Animal Love can run pet first aid courses from a client's home or business, subject to a minimum of 10 people. The host receives their own course for free. Hosts must provide suitable premises with plenty of space, adequate seating, heating or cooling, on-site parking and light refreshments. The classroom course counts as 4 hours of CPD and is certificated.

Shop and additional resources

The Animal Love online shop sells dog and cat first aid products, all recommended by a veterinary surgeon. The site also includes a section titled "Sophie's Vet School" and an advice area from the vet.