Every Pet Comes With A Person: Behavioral Care For The Entire Family

Unresolved behavior issues are one of the leading causes of animal surrender and subsequent euthanasia. Successful identification and treatment of behavior problems requires analysis and support of the whole system rather than an approach that focuses solely on the pet or the problem itself. This workshop will present a collaborative model for treating troubled pets within the families that often unwittingly trigger and maintain behavior challenges. Using a case-based approach, the presenters will provide a model for how veterinarians and mental health professionals can work together to maximize treatment outcomes, support stressed clients, and provide “wrap around” service with the pet as the nucleus.

Objectives:

1) To expand the scope of inquiry to better understand the human components of animal behavior problems

2) To identify the most common issues influencing owner capacity to understand behavior issues and comply with treatment recommendations

3) To provide a model for how veterinarians addressing behavior issues can partner with, and refer to, social services professionals and community resources

4) To review the unique dynamics that make evaluating and treating animal behavior problems challenging for clinicians, allied professionals, and families, and recommend resources critical to supporting families and their pets

Dr. Pachel completed his DVM degree in 2002 at the University of MN. He worked as a general practice veterinarian until 2004, then completed a combination conforming/non-conforming residency training program in the field of veterinary behavioral medicine in 2008. He became a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist in 2010 and currently owns a veterinary behavior referral practice in Portland, OR. He has lectured at national veterinary conferences and has been a clinical instructor of veterinary students at the University of MN College of Veterinary Medicine and at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. He is the current president-elect for the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

Jeannine is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in human-animal relationships, grief counseling, and animal-assisted therapy. Jeannine served as the founding director of Veterinary Social Services at the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work. She is currently developing a similar program for North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Health Complex, where she provides crisis intervention, medical case consultation, and grief counseling for clients, and skills training for veterinary students, staff, and faculty. Jeannine provides training on the human-animal bond, family-centered veterinary care, and compassion fatigue to mental health, veterinary medicine, and animal welfare professionals across the country. Her scholarly interests include practice standards for pet loss professionals, animal-assisted intervention methodologies, complicated bereavement, and the horse-human bond.