At MARN, we believe that pet owners deserve to receive quality assistance from people who are both highly trained and ethical. The resources in our network are not employees of MARN. In many cases, we train individuals through our online training program but we seldom get to meet our students in person. Thus we rely on the public to let us know if someone in our network is behaving contrary to how we expect them to behave. Below is the MARN Code of Ethics that everyone affiliated with MARN is expected to abide by:
MARN Code of Ethics
- MARN members shall protect and promote the interests, welfare, and safety of the companion animals they work for and with.
- MARN members shall protect and promote the interests of the pet owner/guardian to the best of their ability and knowledge, recognizing that the owner/guardian has placed their trust and confidence in the MARN member. Members will strive to treat owners/guardians fairly, wisely, and in an efficient and proper manner.
- MARN members shall endeavor to maintain and increase their level of knowledge and training regarding new equipment, technology, techniques, developments in the MAR field as applicable to their level of training and responsibility. Members have an obligation to advance their knowledge and skills in lost pet recovery work so that they can better assist the community through their services.
- MARN members shall uphold the honor and dignity of the lost pet recovery profession and avoid business associations with any individual or enterprise of questionable character or apparent conflict of interest.
- MARN members who work a MAR search dog shall be honest and knowledgeable about their dog’s abilities and will not give false expectations or hopes about what their search dog can accomplish. MARN members shall promptly disclose any limitations that they or their search dogs have (i.e. dog not trained in a particular discipline, time-lapse that affects scent conditions, etc.) to the owner/guardian who hires them.
- MARN members shall never give misleading information or make false statements about their services, abilities, success rate, or their background. For example, any MARN member who claims his/her dog can track a scent trail that is outside of what current scientific testing proves is possible or is beyond the capabilities of what is considered acceptable within the search-and-rescue dog training community (i.e. claims that their dog can track a scent trail that is several months old) will not be allowed to associate themselves with the Missing Animal Response Network.
- MARN members may charge a service fee, accept a donation for their search efforts, or volunteer their services at no charge. They are free to accept a “reward” if a pet owner offers it, but MARN members shall not adjust their service fees based on how much money is offered as a reward.
- MARN members shall be free to market their services but shall not make unmeasurable, excessive claims about their abilities or the abilities of their search dogs. For example, a MARN member could promote that their search dog has a 55% success rate (if this is documented) in recovering lost cats but they should not claim that they have “the best tracking dog in the world.”
- MARN members will remain professional and shall not openly or publicly talk negatively about other MARN members, lost pet recovery volunteers, professional pet detectives, or lost pet recovery institutions. Members will be professional and courteous at all times. Any rude, arrogant, malicious, or dishonest behavior will be grounds for revocation of membership. Also, they shall maintain the confidentiality of all non-public MARN content, postings, and communication (no screenshots or sharing of MARN social media or intellectual property.)
- MARN members shall make every effort to maintain and improve their professional services, integrity, and reputation.
- MARN members shall at all times be a positive and professional representative of the Missing Animal Response Network. This includes only the appropriate use of MARN content and posts in restricted groups and pages. Their actions reflect on the integrity of MARN, the integrity of other MARN members, and the lost pet industry. Any unprofessional or negative conduct or behavior will be grounds for revocation of membership.
If you feel that someone within MARN has violated this Code of Ethics, please visit our Complaint Resolution Process page where you can file an official complaint.
