Presented by Patrina Carter, Kate Shaw and Dr Ingrid Groeger-Stone
This panel discussion examines best-practice approaches to pet handling across common scenarios, including grooming, veterinary care, equipment use, and movement. Emphasis is placed on low-stress, force-free methods that support animal welfare.
Learning Objectives
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Identify key principles of low-stress, force-free handling across a range of everyday scenarios, including grooming, veterinary care, and transport.
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Recognise how equipment (e.g. harnesses, muzzles, ramps) can be introduced and used in a way that supports comfort, safety, and animal choice.
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Apply practical strategies to support cooperative care and voluntary movement, including the use of targets, mats, and reinforcement.
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Evaluate handling approaches to ensure they prioritise welfare, reduce stress, and promote long-term positive outcomes for both animals and their guardians.
About The Presenters
Patrina Carter runs Penrith Valley Pet Care, a professional, locally owned pet care service based in the Penrith region of New South Wales, specialising in in-home pet care and cat boarding services. She is dedicated to providing reliable, compassionate, and personalised care to ensure (mostly cats) remain safe, comfortable, and well looked after while their owners are away.
As part of her work, Patrina manages medication administration, claw trimming, and flea and worm treatments and focuses on maintaining pets’ normal routines and reducing stress by providing care in a calm, familiar environment.
Patrina has a strong focus on animal welfare, hygiene, and individual attention, and prides herself on her professionalism, reliability, and treating every pet as if it were her own.
Kate Shaw has over 20 years’ experience using positive reinforcement with horses. She is passionate about fear, aggression, and helping people get started using food safely and effectively in training. She also works with dogs, cats, rats and other species. Kate has several rescue horses with traumatic histories, giving her both personal and professional experience of how effective force-free training, combined with species-appropriate care and management is, for even the most severe behaviour challenges. She holds a Bachelor of Psychological Science, is enrolled in a Master of Applied Behaviour Analysis (alongside a law degree), and serves on the PPGA Committee.
Dr Ingrid Groeger-Stone (Creature Connections) is a Behaviour Veterinarian and Dog trainer, with a focus on practical, welfare-first support that helps dogs and their people build real-world skills and confidence. She brings a strong mix of clinical behaviour knowledge and hands-on training experience across search & rescue dog training, pet dog training and scent sports.
Her qualifications and accreditations include:
- Postgraduate qualifications in Veterinary Behaviour (MANZCVS)
- Karen Pryor Academy Certified Professional Dog Trainer (KPA-CTP)
- Accredited Mantrailing Global Instructor (Mantrailing Global Head Instructor for Australia)
- Certified K9 Nose Work Instructor (CNWI)
- Fear Free Certified Veterinarian
- Interactive Play Skills Instructor
Ingrid works with clients across South Brisbane, Logan, and the northern Gold Coast, with virtual consults available. Through Creature Connections she offers veterinary behaviour consultations, behaviour modification programs, and training services including mantrailing and nose work instruction, workshops, and one-on-one coaching. Outside of work, Ingrid trains and assesses operational urban search & rescue dogs, and enjoys mantrailing & nosework with her own dogs.
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