National Board of Certification for Animal

For those who have not read my earlier post on the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure (NBCAAM), it was established in 2008 on the initiative of Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis of of Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute. Their goal was to establish professional standards for animal massage and acupressure practitioners and, in their own words, “provide examinations that reflect and uphold the highest professional standards of practice for animal acupressure and massage.”

NBCAAM continues to grow and recently welcomed two well-known members renowned for their work in their respective fields: Linda Tellington-Jones and Dr. Michael Fox.

The press release excerpts below are printed with the permission of Amy Snow:

Linda Tellington-Jones
Linda Tellington-Jones, PhD, whose revolutionary Tellington TTouch® Training program has helped the physical, mental, emotional and behavioral aspects of thousands of animals and humans around the globe for decades, has been granted the first Advisory Board Membership of the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage.

In addition to honoring Linda, NBCAAM has granted TTouch experience as a validated part of the required hours for the Equine and Canine Acupressure Examination. Amy Snow, co-founder of NBCAAM, states, “We want to recognize Linda for all the amazing work she has done over the years in bringing humane, hands-on therapies to animals. She has literally created a new mind set regarding the care, treatment, training and health of all animals.”

“I’m very pleased to be recognized with this honor,” says Linda. “I’m so grateful for the acknowledgement of this work and the accreditation of TTouch by the NBCAAM. I also appreciate these innovative people in bringing standards to the industry. We discovered years ago in our organization that standards are necessary to maintain the integrity of TTouch and all it represents — from the actual hands-on elements of TTouch to business procedures to practitioner ethics.”

Linda continues, saying, “I am so pleased that NBCAAM has also created an outline of core competencies for practitioners — just as we have established with TTouch, the animal owner can then be assured that the practitioner has a background and training that can be trusted.”

Dr. Michael W. Fox

Dr. Michael W. Fox, veterinarian and author, recently accepted an Honorary Membership in NBCAAM. Dr. Fox is renowned for being the pioneer in the field of animal massage and human-animal relationships. He has written over 40 books and currently writes the nationally syndicated newspaper column Animal Doctor. Between 1976 and 2002 he served in various positions with the Humane Society of the United States, including Scientific Director and Vice President for Bioethics and Sustainable Agriculture.

He earned his veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College, London, from where he graduated in 1962. His subsequent research into animal behavior and development in the US was at the Jackson Memorial Research Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, and the Thudichum Psychiatric Research Institute, Galesburg IL. This work resulted in a dissertation entitled Integrative Development of the Brain and Behavior in the Dog, (published in 1971 by the University of Chicago Press), that earned a Ph.D. in Medicine from London University in 1967.

As Associate Professor of Psychology at Washington University, St Lois, MO, Dr. Fox continued behavioral and developmental studies in dogs, wolves and other related canids, for which he earned a D.Sc. in animal behavior/ethology from London University in 1976.

The Healing Touch: The Proven Massage Program for Cats and Dogs by Dr. Fox, published in 1981, was one of the first texts on animal massage. Soon after this publication, he received certification as a human massage therapist from the State of California. He is widely recognized as an expert in animal emotions, rights, and well-being as well as human-animal relationships and rights, bioethics, biotechnology, humane, sustainable agriculture, and holistic health.

Dr. Fox is a member of the British Veterinary Association, the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, Founding Member of the International Society for Applied Animal Ethology, and an Honor Roll member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.