WHY IS VOLUNTARY REGISTRATION IMPORTANT
Why register when it’s ‘only’ voluntary?
It is a fair question. When registration is voluntary and legislative change takes time, it can be difficult to see what difference your participation makes.
It makes a real difference. Registration gives us something concrete to build on: a visible community of qualified practitioners committed to professional standards and accountability. It demonstrates that our professions are organised, take responsibility for our practice and are helping shape the future of animal healthcare.
We are already professionals. By registering, we make our qualifications and commitments visible to colleagues, employers, the public and those making decisions about our future. We demonstrate that professional regulation is something we are already putting into practice.
You do not have to wait for statutory regulation to contribute. Joining now helps build recognition of our professions and strengthens our ability to be seen and heard.
What does your fee support?
AVPRC has been run by volunteers for more than a decade. Registration and Annual Practising Certificate fees only just cover the costs of keeping this work going.
Those costs include legal advice to support our privacy obligations, bookkeeping and accounting services for financial reporting and accountability, and the digital systems that maintain records, protect information, process applications and collect fees.
Our volunteers contribute their time and expertise. Your fees provide the services and infrastructure that make their work possible.
Independence and impartiality are essential to our regulatory role. Practitioner fees help sustain that independence, alongside our responsibility to make decisions in the interests of animal welfare and the public.
Your contribution keeps the register operating, our professions visible and an informed regulatory voice involved in decisions about our future. This work depends on practitioners choosing to participate.
Will registration lead to statutory recognition?
Registration alone cannot guarantee legislative change or determine when it will happen. It does give us an established framework, a visible body of practitioners and practical experience of maintaining professional standards.
These are foundations we can bring to discussions about statutory title protection, accountability and the future authority and responsibilities of our professions.
AVPRC contributes through its regulatory role, alongside the work of professional associations. Our focus is on how professional recognition and standards can support animal welfare, the public interest and a sustainable workforce.
Progress takes sustained effort. Joining the register is a practical way to contribute now and help shape what comes next.