Know What to Do
When a Pet Needs Help.

This course is built for Australian pet owners, pet sitters, dog walkers, and anyone who works with animals in a professional or volunteer capacity. It covers real scenarios you are likely to face in Australia, including snakebite response, tick paralysis, heatstroke, and bushfire preparedness. No prior medical or veterinary training is required.

The course spans 50 lessons across five modules, covering wound care, CPR for dogs and cats, choking, poisoning response, heatstroke, snakebite, tick removal, and Australian-specific hazards such as cane toads and blue-ringed octopus encounters. It also covers practical skills like setting up a pet first aid kit, transporting an injured animal safely, and knowing when to get to a vet immediately. Lessons on duty of care and incident documentation are included for those in professional roles.

No prior experience is needed. The course starts with the fundamentals, including how to read an animal's body language, assess a scene, and handle a distressed animal safely, before moving into more applied skills. It is designed to be accessible to anyone who cares for animals, regardless of background.

The course is estimated at 123 hours of study for learners working through the content thoroughly. If you need to build core skills more quickly, a fast-track pathway can be completed in approximately 13 hours, focusing on the most critical practical content. You can study at your own pace and return to lessons as needed.

You will receive a Certificate upon successful completion. The course holds ICOES accreditation and qualifies for CPD recognition, which is relevant if you work in a professional animal care role and need to demonstrate ongoing professional development. The credential is issued through the platform and can be shared with employers or clients.

The course carries ICOES accreditation and is CPD-recognised, making it suitable for pet care professionals who need to demonstrate competency and ongoing learning to clients or insurers. The module on duty of care for pet professionals covers what your obligations look like in practice, and the incident documentation lesson is directly relevant to anyone running a pet care business. We recommend checking with your insurer or relevant industry body regarding any specific requirements for your situation.