Understanding the distinction between the “client” and the “owner” is important in certain scenarios, as they are not always the same. In many cases, the owner and the client are the same person, but there are situations where the distinction becomes clearer.
Scenario 1: A public owner, Jane Smith, brings in a cat. In this case, the owner and the client are the same person—Jane Smith is both the owner and the client.
Scenario 2: A volume client, Beagle Rescue, brings in an animal. In this case, Beagle Rescue is both the owner and the client because they are the organization responsible for the animal.
Scenario 3: This is where the differentiation between the client and owner becomes important. In this case, Beagle Rescue, the volume client, brings in an animal, but the animal actually has a separate owner. The owner may have sent the animal on transport, for example. In this situation, the animal’s owner is referred to as the “Volume Client Owner” or “VCO,” distinguishing them from Beagle Rescue, which is the client.
