The HGA Charter:

Our Commitment to Ethical Grooming Excellence

The Holistic Grooming Academy Ethical Pledge

As a member, student and/or graduate of the HGA, I solemnly pledge to:

Honour All Animals:

Prioritise the physical and emotional wellbeing of every animal in my care.
Practice low-stress, compassionate handling techniques that respect each dog's individual needs
Recognise and respond appropriately to signs of distress and discomfort and never cause unreasonable and/or prolonged suffering
Create a calm, safe and nurturing environment for all animals

Uphold Professional Excellence:

Maintain the highest standards of holistic grooming practices as taught by The HGA
Continuously develop my skills and knowledge or forsake HGA certification status
Stay current with industry developments and best practices
Represent the HGA community with integrity, friendliness and professionalism

Embrace Holistic Principles:

Consider the whole animal in every grooming session
Integrate physical, emotional and behavioural aspects of care
Use products and techniques that support natural wellbeing
Practice environmental consciousness in my business operations

Commit To Growth:

Participate in ongoing professional development
Share knowledge and experience with the HGA community
Contribute to the advancement of holistic grooming practices
Mentor others in their holistic grooming journey

Foster Community Trust:

Communicate honestly and transparently with clients
Educate pet carers about holistic grooming benefits
Maintain professional confidentiality
Support and uplift fellow HGA members, students and graduates

The Holistic Grooming Academy Code of Conduct

The Holistic Grooming Academy prides itself in being a community with unwavering integrity.

Our charter is in place to safeguard the reputation and ethos of our beloved establishment and we hold ourselves accountable in ensuring that we remain reflective of the following principles:

Inclusive and Supportive Community: we welcome and embrace all walks of life and strive to develop our compassion, understanding and acceptance of other perspectives, experiences and backgrounds. We are active advocates against any form of ill-treatment whether that be actions towards our peers or our furry companions.

Professionalism, Transparency and Integrity: it is crucial to all at The HGA to conduct our business and nurture our relationships honestly and with the utmost respect. As ambassadors of our organisation, we also ask that you uphold your promise to ensure that your behaviour and actions support this ethos, and that you remain accountable for your actions with clients, peers, the general public and other animals. We rely on our associates to be the best representatives and take misconduct seriously.

Commitment To Learning & Developing Our Skills: we believe that there's no such thing as an "expert" in any field and that in order to be the best versions of ourselves we must strive to be the forever student. We ask that our staff, students and members continue to invest in their own professional development, and seek out reputable training providers in order to do so. We believe that it is imperative to the standard of education we provide, that we continue to invest in learning more as science continues to evolve. Our promise is to ensure all of our training resources are regularly reviewed and updated as necessary to reflect this.

Global Warming & Environmental Duty: We recognise the impact our roles may have to the environment and promise to pursue measures to reduce our own carbon footprint when carrying out our daily roles. As such, we will commit to learning more about products and the other ways our day-to-day activities may hinder our environment, and promise to explore different ways to make our daily tasks more environmental friendly. The HGA respects Mother Nature and we feel strongly about helping to make this world a greener place.

If you have any concerns about the professional conduct of an HGA associate, please contact our support team immediately below.

FAQs

My groomer claims to be a 'behaviourist', is this right enough?

Our graduates have been taken through an advanced education in canine behaviour and positive training methods within the context of professional grooming and their skills are specific to the context of a professional grooming environment.

As such, the term 'HGA Approved - Holistic Grooming Behaviourist' refers to the graduates ability to risk-assess, observe and communicate with a dog within a professional grooming environment to devise a bespoke care plan based on the dog's individual needs.

This should not be confused with a qualified clinical behaviourist - all of our graduates are encouraged to work closely alongside other pet professionals to ensure that all dogs receive a synchronised approach to dog care that considers individual needs.

Does HGA Membership guarantee a groomer works within your guidelines?

Unfortunately not.

While we do all that we can to safeguard the integrity of our establishment we cannot guarantee that all of our members invest time to attending our events, or that they will indeed practice as per our Code of Conduct and Members Pledge Ethics.

With that in mind, we always recommend that you do your own due diligence before entrusting a professional to care for your dog, and should you have any concerns about one of our HGA members, students and/or graduates, that you contact us immediately with as much evidence to support your complaint.

Our email is: [email protected]

What's the point in the logo if you cannot guarantee competency?

We strive to raise awareness of the need for a more cooperative and canine-centred dog grooming world.

Our establishment represents a future where dogs come first and as such, we strive to welcome as many individuals into our community as possible so that they have access to the relevant and reliable resources to further expand their knowledge and skillset.

We rely on our members/students/graduates being honest but we do dedicate time to mystery shop and spot check at random in hope this might encourage them to adhere to our policies. their promise.