Hello, I cannot say enough how much I love animals. I have cared for dogs for the last ten years. I currently have Spike, German shepard which will celebrate his 15th birthday this December. Spike's best friend Chicco, a dachshund, died last August. Beside dogs, I have sat cats, hamsters and lizards. My parents own a farm so I am very familiar with horses, cos and sheeps. I do not think a person needs certifications to be an animal lover, just a kind heart and the compassion to know that animals have feelings too