Lisa Whitehouse is Co-Founder and Chair of NAPET, bringing over 20 years of professional dog training experience supported by an academic background in psychology and canine behaviour. With a family background in rescue, rehabilitation, and working dog training, Lisa has spent decades supporting dogs and owners through complex behavioural challenges, with a strong focus on responsible, welfare-led outcomes. As a founding voice behind NAPET, Lisa has played a central role in establishing an organisation that represents ethical practice, evidence-informed standards, and balanced discussion around e-collar training in the UK. As Chair, Lisa supports collaboration between veterinary professionals, rural and livestock stakeholders, and experienced trainers to ensure informed and credible perspectives are represented at every level.

Ian Walshaw is Co-Founder of NAPET and serves as Director of Governance, Compliance and Industry Relations, bringing a combined background in policing and professional dog training. Ian began his policing career with West Yorkshire Police before transferring to the City of London Police, where he worked within a Level 1 public order unit operating in high-risk public safety environments. He later served with Humberside Police, completing 15 years of service before retiring due to injury on duty. Alongside his policing career, Ian has decades of experience as a working dog trainer and breeder. Dogs he has trained and bred have gone on to work within UK police, military, and security contexts. Ian trained extensively in Schutzhund and later became involved in KNPV, achieving the distinction of being the first British trainer and handler to obtain a KNPV PH1 qualification with a dog he bred himself. Within NAPET, Ian supports governance, accountability, and professional standards, helping to ensure the organisation’s long-term credibility

Paola Fognani is a small animal veterinarian, bringing professional veterinary expertise alongside real-world experience as a responsible dog owner. As Veterinary Advisor and Board Director, Paola provides clinical and welfare oversight to the board, supporting informed, ethical, and proportionate discussion around dog training, welfare, and public safety. Her contribution is grounded in animal health, behaviour, and real-world outcomes, helping ensure that considerations around training tools remain evidence based and welfare led. Paola also supports NAPET through public speaking and wider engagement, contributing to balanced and informed dialogue at both professional and public levels.

Fran Kerr is a marine biologist with a strong background in science and animal welfare, alongside extensive hands-on experience running a dog rescue. Fran lives and works in a rural farming environment, with close connections to livestock and countryside life. This provides valuable real-world insight into the challenges surrounding dog safety, livestock protection, and responsible training in agricultural settings. Her role brings together scientific understanding, rescue experience, and rural perspective, supporting balanced, ethical, and evidence-informed discussion around dog welfare and training practices. Fran contributes a grounded voice to the board, ensuring that policy and public dialogue reflect both scientific integrity and real-world rural realities.

Chris Foster is a lifelong livestock farmer with over six decades of hands-on farming experience. Born and raised on a mixed dairy farm, he began farming independently in 1967, later working with beef suckler herds before focusing on sheep farming for meat production for more than 25 years. Now in his 82nd year, Chris remains actively involved in sheep farming and brings first-hand experience of livestock welfare, including the impact of dog attacks on both his own sheep and neighbouring flocks. Chris is also a sheepdog owner and has practical experience of responsible e-collar training in a working farm environment, where effective control was necessary to ensure livestock safety. Chris contributes a grounded farming perspective to the board, ensuring rural realities and real-world welfare outcomes are accurately represented.

Lee Wilkinson is a professional dog trainer with extensive experience in behaviour modification and long-term rehabilitation. His work focuses on complex behavioural presentations, including aggression, reactivity, predation, and chase behaviours, grounded in learning theory and evidence-led practice. Alongside his training expertise, Lee brings in-depth knowledge of canine-related legislation, particularly in relation to criminal offences linked to dog behaviour. Lee also has a background in policing, having served within specialist units including the Intercept Team, Armed Policing Unit, and Roads Policing, strengthening the board’s understanding of real-world enforcement and public safety considerations.