August 10, 2020
By Thom Somes, President and Co-Founder of Pet Tech

Executive Overview

In the modern landscape of domestic animal companionship, pets are no longer viewed merely as property or working animals; they are firmly entrenched as core members of the family unit. From gourmet nutrition to advanced veterinary medicine, pet parents increasingly spare no expense to ensure their furry counterparts live long, healthy lives. Yet, despite these strides in daily wellness, a critical vulnerability has long persisted: emergency preparedness. When an animal chokes, stops breathing, or suffers a sudden trauma, the critical window between life and death often hinges not on the speed of a veterinary ambulance, but on the immediate, trained actions of the owner or caregiver standing closest to them.

Enter Pet Tech, the pioneering international training center that has spent decades transforming everyday pet owners and animal care professionals into confident first responders. Founded by Thom Somes—widely known as "The Pet Safety Guy"—the organization was built on a simple yet radical premise: that pet emergencies can be mitigated, managed, and in many cases, entirely prevented through accessible education.

At the heart of Pet Tech’s modern legacy is a bold, quantifiable crusade: the initiative to "Prevent 1 Million Pet ER Visits." While initially viewed by skeptics as an impossibly ambitious target, the organization has quietly surged past significant milestones. Amid the global disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pet Tech officially crossed the 17% threshold of its overarching goal, having successfully trained more than 170,000 students in the art and science of Pet CPR and First Aid.

This deep-dive report explores the origins of Pet Tech, the foundational philosophy driving its mission to "Improve the Quality of Pets’ Lives, One Pet Parent at a Time," the structural mechanics of its training programs, and the broader socio-cultural impact of empowering everyday citizens to act as the first line of defense for their four-legged family members.

Detailed Chronology: From a Single Question to a Global Movement

To understand the scale and authority of Pet Tech today, one must examine its genesis. Every transformative enterprise begins with an observation—a moment where the status quo is weighed against untapped potential. For Somes, that moment arrived not through a grand epiphany in a corporate boardroom, but through a straightforward, practical question regarding animal welfare and emergency response that many contemporaries dismissed as a niche concern.

The Spark of Opportunity

In the early days of the pet safety industry, the concept of CPR and first aid tailored specifically to companion animals was virtually nonexistent. While human emergency medical training (such as Red Cross courses for people) was widely available, standard medical protocol dictated that animals were either treated by licensed veterinarians or left to the mercy of whatever improvised remedies an owner could conjure during a crisis.

Somes viewed this gap not as an absence of need, but as an extraordinary opportunity. Recognizing that heart attacks, choking incidents, poisoning, and vehicular trauma do not wait for business hours—nor do they respect the distance to the nearest 24-hour veterinary hospital—he conceptualized a standardized curriculum that could bridge the chasm between home care and professional veterinary intervention.

Establishing the First International Training Center

From that initial question, Pet Tech was born, establishing itself as the world’s first international training center dedicated exclusively to pet CPR and first aid. The early years required an immense evangelizing effort. Educating the public meant first shattering the misconception that pet emergencies were entirely unpredictable and unmanageable outside of a clinical setting.

Somes and his early collaborators developed rigorous, hands-on instructional modules utilizing specialized canine and feline manikins. These tools allowed students to practice chest compressions, rescue breathing, and choking-management techniques without placing live animals at risk. Over successive years, the organization refined its training pipelines, expanding from localized seminars into a robust, scalable network of certified instructors operating across North America and beyond.

The Pandemic Crucible and the 17% Milestone

The true resilience of Pet Tech’s operational model was tested during the unprecedented disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. As global populations locked down and adopted pets in record numbers, the demand for at-home pet care skyrocketed alongside anxiety over veterinary access.

It was during this turbulent era that Pet Tech achieved a monumental organizational milestone: crossing the 17% mark of its "Prevent 1 Million Pet ER Visits" initiative. Having trained over 170,000 students, the organization gathered empirical momentum, validating the hypothesis that proactive education directly reduces catastrophic veterinary emergencies. The crisis underscored the essential nature of pet safety education, proving that when professional medical infrastructure is strained, knowledgeable pet parents form an indispensable safety net.

Supporting Context & Metrics: The Mathematics of Prevention

To fully appreciate Pet Tech’s impact, one must analyze the correlation between educational outreach and emergency room utilization. Within the organization’s operational framework, a core philosophical belief serves as its guiding metric: Every student trained in Pet CPR and First Aid equals one prevented Pet ER visit.

Quantifying the Impact: The 170,000-Student Milestone

Reaching 170,000 trained individuals is not merely a vanity statistic; it represents a vast, distributed network of mobilized caregivers. Consider the typical trajectory of a pet emergency:

• The Panic Phase: An animal ingests a toxic substance, exhibits signs of gastric torsion, or loses consciousness due to sudden cardiac arrest.
• The Decision Phase: Without training, the owner often wastes critical minutes panicking, misdiagnosing the severity, or improperly attempting home remedies (such as inducing vomiting incorrectly).
• The Outcome: Delayed intervention frequently transforms a treatable condition into a catastrophic, expensive, and potentially fatal emergency room visit.

Conversely, a Pet Tech-certified graduate approaches the same scenario with a structured, methodical response. By recognizing early warning signs, applying prompt artificial respiration, or correctly performing the Heimlich maneuver for pets, the trained owner stabilizes the animal or neutralizes the threat before it necessitates a high-cost, high-stress ER intervention.

The Economic and Emotional Toll of Pet Emergencies

Beyond the purely statistical perspective, the metric of "preventing an ER visit" addresses two profound burdens borne by modern pet parents: financial strain and emotional trauma.

Modern veterinary emergency care is notoriously expensive. Advanced diagnostics, overnight monitoring, and surgical interventions can easily scale into thousands of dollars—costs that frequently force families into agonizing financial decisions. By equipping owners with preventative knowledge and early intervention skills, Pet Tech helps mitigate the financial shockwaves associated with preventable complications.

More importantly, the emotional toll of losing a pet—or watching one suffer unnecessarily—is immeasurable. Empowering owners with actionable skills replaces helplessness with agency, fostering a deeper, more secure bond between humans and animals.

Official Statements & Leadership Insights

At the helm of this movement is Thom Somes, whose multifaceted career spans decades of advocacy, education, and entrepreneurial leadership. Known throughout the industry as "The Pet Safety Guy," Somes brings a futurist’s lens to the traditional realm of animal husbandry.

The Philosophy of "Improving the Quality of Pets’ Lives"

In his reflections on the journey of Pet Tech, Somes frequently emphasizes the holistic nature of the organization’s mission. It is not merely about mechanical resuscitation; it is about cultivating a culture of proactive mindfulness among pet guardians.

"Pet Tech really did start with one question," Somes reflects. "It was one question that some people would have not taken seriously, or not even considered as a possibility. Instead, it was someone like me who saw an OPPORTUNITY! One of our Pet Tech goals is to ‘Prevent 1 Million Pet ER Visits,’ which is a lofty goal, BUT we are over 17% of the way as of COVID. That is, we have trained over 170,000 students in Pet CPR and First Aid. That impresses me! We also believe that every student we train prevents 1 Pet ER visit. And we do have several other beliefs that help us in our mission of ‘Improving the Quality of Pets’ Lives, One Pet Parent at a Time.’"

The Architect of Pet Safety

Somes’s credentials extend far beyond administrative leadership. As a best-selling author, sought-after international speaker, and dedicated pet parent—not to mention a proud "grandpaw" to his oldest son’s cat—he embodies the lifestyle he advocates. His leadership style bridges the gap between clinical emergency preparedness and everyday domestic reality, ensuring that complex veterinary concepts are translated into accessible, memorable lessons for the average pet owner.

Future Outlook: The Road to One Million and Beyond

As Pet Tech looks toward the horizon, the organization’s roadmap is defined by expansion, technological integration, and a deepening commitment to community resilience.

Scaling the Curriculum in a Digital Age

The lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated Pet Tech’s exploration of hybrid and digital learning environments. While hands-on tactile practice with manikins remains the gold standard for mastering CPR mechanics, digital platforms offer unprecedented opportunities to scale theoretical training to a global audience. Future initiatives will likely see expanded digital certification modules, virtual reality (VR) emergency simulations, and localized community outreach programs designed to reach underserved demographics of pet owners.

Collaborating with the Veterinary Community

A vital component of Pet Tech’s future strategy involves strengthening partnerships with licensed veterinarians and veterinary clinics. Historically, some traditional medical professionals viewed first-aid training with skepticism, fearing it might encourage owners to delay professional care. However, the prevailing consensus has shifted dramatically. Progressive veterinarians now actively endorse Pet Tech certification, recognizing that stabilized patients arrive at clinics in better condition, allowing veterinary teams to administer definitive care more efficiently.

Sustaining the Momentum Toward the Million-Visit Mark

With over 170,000 graduates already in the field, the momentum toward the ultimate goal of 1 Million Prevented Pet ER Visits is accelerating. Each certified pet sitter, groomer, kennel operator, and loving family member adds to a cumulative cultural shift.

The journey from a single, unconventional question to an international movement demonstrates the profound impact of visionary entrepreneurship combined with compassionate execution. As Pet Tech continues to educate, empower, and inspire, it solidifies its place not just as a training provider, but as a fundamental pillar of modern animal welfare.

For those inspired to join the movement—or simply looking to ensure the safety of their own four-legged family members—the path forward is clear: education is the ultimate form of preventative care. And for the dogs lucky enough to share a home with these prepared pet parents, the rewards are measured in countless extra treats, tail wags, and healthy, happy years.