About HATO

HATO practitioners can assist with all animal health problems using natural therapies. Natural therapists believe the body has the ability to repair itself, even from major illnesses such as cancer, when given the right conditions for healing. Natural therapies may assist in providing what the body needs to restore balance and heal itself. When the body is in balance it does not suffer from allergies, skin conditions, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, thyroid problems or other diseases as these are simply signs of imbalance in the body, whether it is a horse, dog, cat or other species of animal.

The Premier Natural Animal Therapy Organisation

Professional insurance for HATO members

For details, please click here.

FAQS

I have completed a course that was approved by HATAA - Does that mean that this organisation (HATO) will automatically approve the course as well?

NO. The Holistic Animal Therapy Association of Australia (HATAA) no longer exists and the Holistic Animal Therapy Organisation (HATO) was developed to replace HATAA. However, they are two totally different entities and therefore, the rulings and policies of HATAA do not apply in any way to HATO. If you are seeking to become a member of HATO, it will be necessary for you to meet the membership criteria of HATO. Please see the 'Membership page' on this website for information about applying for professional HATO membership.

 

Which courses do HATO approve?

All courses in natural animal health and holistic animal care are assessed on their individual merits. It is necessary for the course to meet HATO's minimum criteria, as outlined on the 'Membership criteria' page. We feel strongly that HATO members must have completed satisfactory study requirements in order to work with animals safely and effectively. This provides the general public with the knowledge that their preferred accredited HATO member has met stringent membership requirements.

 

Register your interest in Accredited Animal Naturopathy Courses

If you are interested in studying to become a well-qualified animal naturopath, email us with your name, address and email address (via our contacts page) to register your interest so that we can let you know the details of any accredited, professional courses that are developed in the future. Please state your areas of interest (e.g. Canine, Equine, Feline, etc).

 

PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE FOR HOLISTIC ANIMAL THERAPY ORGANISATION (HATO) MEMBERS 

Q, Can members get professional insurance if they work with animals?

A. Accredited HATO members are entitled to very competitive insurance packages through the IH Group*. The IH Group have been established for 25 years and are one of Australia's largest privately owned insurance brokers. They offer approved HATO members competitive premiums, excellent insurer security, a 3-in-1 policy covering Professional indemnity, Public and Products liability insurance, in-depth industry knowledge and have a dedicated members service team that can tailor each members policy coverage. *There are very few insurance exclusions. Please refer below for more information.

 

Q. What does the HATO members insurance cover include with the IH group?

A. HATO offers members access to excellent insurance coverage with the World's Largest Insurer. HATO members can benefit from $10,000,000 Public Liability cover that is provided with every policy, No Excess if you have a claim, Free cover for students under supervision, locums and administration assistants, and lower premiums for those practitioners earning less than $10,000 per annum. 

 

Q. Are there any exclusions to the IH group insurance for HATO members?

A. Compared to many other insurance companies, there are very few exclusions. The exclusions include chiropractic, physiotherapy, Osteopathy, Cervical Spine, Sterilisation procedures, future predictions and channelling.

 

Q. Can I get insurance with the IH group if I practice Kinesiology, Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Reiki or Bowen on animals?

A. All HATO approved modalities are covered by the IH group (except for the exclusions listed above) as long as you are qualified in the field you are seeking insurance for and are approved by HATO in these modalities. Therefore a large range of Natural animal therapists that are registered HATO members can now gain professional insurance -  from animal naturopaths, animal nutritionists, animal herbalists and homoeopaths, animal behaviour specialists through to animal communicators and practitioners who practice in the field of equine and canine Bowen therapy, animal massage, flower remedies, and almost all other approved HATO modalities.

 

Q. I am a qualified practitioner in the natural animal health field but I do not reside in Australia. Can I still become a member of HATO and can I still access insurance through your preferred insurance provider?

A. Practitioners that meet the membership requirements can join HATO no matter what country they live in however, they will be required to organize insurance cover in their own country as the insurance company that our members have access to do not provide cover for overseas practitioners.

 

Q. I am a well-qualified natural animal health practitioner and I already have good insurance cover - what benefits are there for me to join the Holistic Animal Therapy Organisation?

A. There are many benefits to becoming an approved HATO member. Besides all of the benefits listed on the membership page such as provision of advertising in our website practitioner directory which benefits from over 11 years of Google search engine traffic and receiving referrals from other members, use of our logo on your website and stationery, receiving a quarterly newsletter to provide to your client base so you can keep in touch with them easily, a membership certificate to display in your office and other member benefits such as letting the general public be aware that you are an accredited member of a professional organisation.

This is important as there are many people selling herbal remedies, nutrient supplements and homoeopathic remedies or treating animals that have no training or qualifications in the animal health field at all. This can pose a serious danger to animals as it is important that practitioners are properly trained in the field they practice in to ensure they understand the safest and most effective treatments available for pets and livestock. If animal health practitioners are accredited by HATO, the public can feel confident that the practitioners have met stringent criteria and therefore are properly trained in the field they are accredited in.

 

I am a HATO practitioner member and want to upgrade my membership to include other fields. What do I need to do to apply?

If you have successfully completed further study in an approved HATO course, all you need to do is send a certified copy of your certificate or diploma to the HATO office and we will automatically upgrade your qualification. If you completed a course that has not been accredited by HATO, you will be required to send a certified copy of your qualification along with a completed membership application form. A full course outline including subject descriptions and hours attended for each subject will be required. However, HATO does not charge for the assessment or inclusion of additional qualifications.