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

Executive Overview

In an era where domestic animals are increasingly regarded as full-fledged family members, the standard of care we demand for our pets has fundamentally shifted. Beyond premium nutrition, specialized veterinary medicine, and luxury daycares, a critical dimension of pet parenting has long remained overlooked: emergency preparedness and immediate medical intervention. When a beloved dog or cat experiences sudden choking, cardiac arrest, a severe allergic reaction, or a traumatic injury, the critical minutes before arriving at a veterinary emergency room often mean the difference between life and death.

Enter Pet Tech, the pioneering international training center dedicated to empowering pet parents and pet care professionals with life-saving skills in Pet CPR and First Aid. Founded by Thom Somes—affectionately known throughout the industry as "The Pet Safety Guy"—the organization emerged from a singular, visionary question: What if everyday people could be trained to stabilize animals in crisis before veterinary professionals could take over?

What began as a novel idea in an overlooked niche has blossomed into a global movement. Driven by the mission of "Improving the Quality of Pets’ Lives, One Pet Parent at a Time," Pet Tech has established a remarkably ambitious organizational benchmark: preventing one million pet emergency room visits. Despite global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has already crossed a monumental milestone, training over 170,000 students and achieving more than 17% of its grand mission.

This comprehensive report explores the origins of Pet Tech, its foundational philosophy, the quantitative impact of its training programs, official statements from its leadership, and the future outlook of pet safety education in a rapidly evolving world.

Detailed Chronology: The Genesis and Evolution of Pet Tech

The Spark of an Idea

Long before Pet Tech became an international authority on animal safety, the pet care landscape looked drastically different. In the late 20th century, pet ownership was largely viewed through a traditional lens. Dogs lived in yards, cats roamed neighborhoods, and medical emergencies were handled with a reactive, panic-driven rush to the nearest veterinary clinic. Few resources existed to educate the general public on preventative healthcare, emergency stabilization, or basic canine and feline first aid.

For Thom Somes, a visionary entrepreneur and lifelong animal advocate, the status quo was unacceptable. While others saw unpredictable animal behavior and sudden medical crises as unavoidable hazards of pet ownership, Somes perceived an immense opportunity. He recognized a glaring gap in the market: while human CPR and first aid courses were widely accessible, nothing comparable existed for our four-legged companions.

Instead of dismissing the notion as impractical—a common reaction from skeptics at the time—Somes leaned into the challenge. He asked the foundational question that would eventually alter the trajectory of the pet care industry: How can we equip everyday people with the knowledge to save their pets’ lives when seconds matter most?

Building the Infrastructure

Answering that question required more than good intentions; it demanded rigorous curriculum development, veterinary endorsement, and a scalable educational model. Somes co-founded Pet Tech with the explicit goal of bridging the chasm between panicked pet owners and professional veterinary care.

The organization developed comprehensive, hands-on training modules covering critical topics, including:

• Pet CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques specifically adapted for the anatomy of dogs and cats.
• Choking Management: Emergency protocols for clearing blocked airways safely and effectively.
• Bleeding and Shock Management: Techniques for stabilizing traumatic injuries, applying tourniquets, and managing hypovolemic shock.
• Assessments and Vitals: Training students to check vital signs, recognize distress signals, and perform snout-to-tail wellness checks.
• Senior Pet Care & Environmental Safety: Proactive measures to prevent household accidents and enhance the quality of life for aging animals.

By establishing structured certification courses, Pet Tech created a standardized benchmark for pet care professionals—including groomers, kennel operators, dog walkers, and shelter workers—while simultaneously making the education accessible to everyday pet parents.

Scaling Through Resilience

As Pet Tech grew from a domestic startup into an international training network, it faced numerous operational hurdles. However, the organization’s resilience was tested most profoundly during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

While many businesses faltered amid lockdowns, supply chain disruptions, and social distancing mandates, Pet Tech adapted. The organization leveraged digital infrastructure, refined its hybrid learning models, and continued to spread its safety curriculum. Reaching the milestone of 170,000 trained students during a period of unprecedented global uncertainty stands as a testament to the enduring relevance and vital necessity of pet safety education.

Supporting Context & Metrics: The "Prevent 1 Million Pet ER Visits" Initiative

To understand the true scale of Pet Tech’s impact, one must examine the numbers, the philosophy, and the broader socioeconomic context of modern pet ownership.

The Mathematics of Prevention

Pet Tech operates under a compelling and logically sound core belief: Every student trained in Pet CPR and First Aid prevents at least one unnecessary or catastrophic pet ER visit.

While emergency veterinary care is essential for complex illnesses and severe trauma, a significant percentage of urgent veterinary visits stem from preventable panic or mishandled minor incidents. For instance:

• An owner panics when a dog swallows a harmless object, rushing them into a high-stress car ride, whereas a trained owner knows how to safely inspect the mouth or perform safe obstruction management.
• A cat experiences minor heat exhaustion, which an educated owner can rapidly identify and treat with controlled cooling techniques before organ damage occurs.
• A laceration is bandaged correctly at home using pressure techniques learned in a Pet Tech class, preventing excessive blood loss during transit to the clinic.

By empowering pet parents to act calmly, rationally, and skillfully, Pet Tech effectively intercepts medical emergencies before they escalate into high-cost, high-trauma veterinary interventions.

Tracking Progress: The 17% Milestone

The organization’s defining quantitative goal is staggering: Prevent 1 Million Pet ER Visits.

Skeptics might view such a target as a marketing gimmick, but Pet Tech’s empirical tracking grounds the aspiration in reality. With over 170,000 certified graduates across its international network, the organization has officially surpassed the 17% completion mark of its lifetime goal.

[====================--------------------] 17% Achieved
Target: 1,000,000 Pet ER Visits Prevented
Current Status: 170,000+ Students Trained & Empowered

This metric does not merely represent ticket sales or course completions; it represents 170,000 individual human beings walking through the world equipped to protect, stabilize, and advocate for vulnerable animals. It translates to countless hours of reduced animal suffering, lowered veterinary bills for families, and strengthened bonds between humans and their pets.

Official Statements and Leadership Vision

At the heart of Pet Tech’s enduring success is its leadership, characterized by passion, deep industry expertise, and an unwavering commitment to animal welfare.

Thom Somes: "The Pet Safety Guy"

As President and Co-Founder, Thom Somes has spent decades championing the cause of animal safety. Beyond his executive duties, Somes is a prolific keynote speaker, best-selling author, futurist, and passionate pet parent.

Reflecting on the journey of the organization, Somes emphasizes that Pet Tech’s achievements are deeply rooted in community empowerment:

"Pet Tech really did start with one question. It was one question that some people would not have taken seriously, or not even considered as a possibility. Instead, it was someone like me who saw an OPPORTUNITY!"

Somes notes that the mission extends far beyond mechanical first-aid instructions. It is about fundamentally transforming the human-animal bond:

"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.’"

A Holistic Philosophy of Animal Care

Somes’ philosophy challenges the compartmentalized view of pet ownership. Pets are not merely property or entertainment; they are sentient family members requiring active stewardship. By positioning education as the primary tool for animal welfare, Pet Tech bridges the gap between love and competence. Many pet owners love their animals fiercely, but love alone cannot restart a stopped heart or clear an obstructed airway. Technical competence, paired with compassion, is what saves lives.

Future Outlook: The Next Horizon in Pet Safety

As we look toward the post-pandemic future, the trajectory of Pet Tech points toward accelerated growth, technological integration, and expanded global reach. Several key trends are shaping the future of pet emergency education:

1. The Rise of the Professionalized Pet Industry

The pet care economy is experiencing a massive boom. Dog daycare facilities, mobile grooming services, luxury boarding resorts, and professional pet-sitting networks are expanding rapidly. Consumers increasingly demand that caretakers hold professional certifications. Pet Tech is uniquely positioned to serve as the gold standard for corporate and independent pet care compliance, ensuring that commercial facilities maintain rigorous safety standards.

2. Technological Integration and Hybrid Learning

While hands-on tactile practice remains irreplaceable for mastering CPR chest compressions and bandaging techniques, digital platforms have unlocked new avenues for theoretical education. Pet Tech continues to refine its digital delivery methods, combining virtual instructional modules with localized, hands-on practical testing sessions. This hybrid model lowers barriers to entry, enabling rural and international pet parents to access life-saving curricula.

3. Closing the Gap to One Million

With over 170,000 graduates already in the fold, the momentum behind the "Prevent 1 Million Pet ER Visits" campaign is compounding. As brand awareness grows and partnerships with veterinary associations deepen, the rate of student acquisition is projected to accelerate over the coming decade. Each new graduate acts as an ambassador, spreading safety awareness within their local communities, families, and social circles.

Conclusion

The story of Pet Tech is a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished when a visionary identifies an overlooked need and refuses to accept that "things have always been done this way." Under the leadership of Thom Somes and the dedicated network of instructors worldwide, Pet Tech has transformed pet safety from an afterthought into an accessible, actionable science.

For the pets who bring unconditional joy, comfort, and companionship into our lives, our ultimate responsibility is to keep them safe. Through education, preparation, and unwavering dedication, Pet Tech continues to fulfill its profound promise: Improving the quality of pets’ lives, one pet parent at a time.

Note from the Author: Ensuring our pets live long, healthy lives requires more than just emergency preparation—it also takes keeping them happy every single day! For those looking to reward their canine companions, our dogs’ absolute favorite treats are made and sourced right here in the USA. Pick up a bag to support their habits while helping us continue our mission!