Issue 31 | July 2025 — Shelter
The Paradox of Standards: Ethics in an Unregulated Industry
Abstract In the absence of formal regulation, the dog training and behaviour consultancy industry relies heavily on self-defined ethical standards to guide practice. This commentary examines the limitations of ethical codes in an unregulated field, arguing that while...
Written by Erin Jones, PhD, MSc, PgDip, BSc (Hons), CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, CDBCBeyond “Doing Better”: Improving the Objectivity of Cat Behavior Assessment
Abstract At Toronto Humane Society, inconsistencies in how cat behavior and welfare were being reported led to the development of a new system using four simple, standardized behavior rating scales. These ordinal rating scales — measuring fear, anxiety, and stress;...
Written by Jacklyn J. Ellis, PhD, CAAB, CSB-CIssue 29 | July 2025 — Shelter
The Final Gift: Ensuring a Peaceful Behavioural Euthanasia
As a shelter behaviour consultant, I’ve become intimately familiar with the difficult task of euthanizing animals that are unsafe to live with humans or that suffer from poor quality of life due to extreme behaviour. These decisions are never taken lightly, whether...
Written by Blaze FulbrookCreating a College-Based Shelter Cats Training Program
Every year, approximately 3.4 million cats enter animal shelters nationwide. Although about 170,000 of these cats will be safely returned to their owners and 1.3 million will be adopted, many will spend months waiting for their forever family, and more than 1.4...
Written by Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg, PhDA Multidisciplinary and Trauma-Informed Approach to Community-Based Support Programs
In 2023, Toronto Humane Society launched a pop-up pet support program designed specifically to provide wellness, behavior and social services to underserved communities. While community wellness is not new to the organization, this program was designed to offer...
Written by Lauralee Dorst, RVT, Dillon Dodson, RSW, MSW, Beverley McKee, CDBC, CPDT-KAIssue 28 | February 2024 — Shelter
Enrichment Involving Human Interaction Saves Lives
Summary: The transition into an animal shelter is a stressful event for an animal, regardless of their previous life circumstances. Stress is linked to many difficulties, including failing to pass a shelter’s temperament test and potentially being euthanized....
Written by Regina Willen, MS, CDBC, ACAABSimple Solutions for Common Behavior Issues in Shelters
Since 1990 I have been volunteering in or working with a variety of shelters and rescue groups, until 2013 when I accepted a full-time position at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. While there, one of my fellow behavior consultants, Allie Bender, and I...
Written by Emily Strong, CPBC, CPBT-KA, CDBC, SBATesting the Temperament of Dogs Housed in Animal Shelters
Summary: An overview of available research on some of the temperament tests currently used as first-line intake evaluations for dogs in a shelter, why these tests are used at all, and some possible alternatives. Animal shelters and rescues have two essential...
Written by John Reilly, MS, CBCC-KAOne Dog at a Time: Enriching the Emotional Lives of Shelter Dogs
Summary: A description of the SPCA Singapore’s Dog Mentorship Program, which identified and trained volunteers to a high level of skill in enrichment, behavior management, and modification so that they could provide intensive support to dogs suffering from...
Written by Dr. Nee Kang, PhD, CDBC, Elisa Ang, and Jaipal Singh GillIssue 27 | October 2023 — Shelter
Multisensory Enrichment for Shelter Dogs
Summary: Originally published in Issue 3 of The IAABC Foundation Journal, this article focuses on practical, creative, low-cost ways to provide multi-sensory enrichment to sheltered dogs. I have worked in the animal industry for over 18 years. I currently work at the...
Written by Mik MoellerIssue 26 | June 2023 — Shelter
Revitalizing a Shelter Volunteer Program in the Wake of the Pandemic
Summary: Animal shelters were significantly impacted by the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Among other issues, lockdowns meant that animal shelters could no longer rely on their volunteers in the same way. As communities begin to reopen and shelters start to recover, they...
Written by John Reilly, MS, CBCC-KAAdoption Events: Skills, Ethics, and Best Practices
Summary: Getting cats and dogs through the shelter and onto the next stage of their lives is understandably the main thing shelter staff and volunteers are focused on, and adoption events are one way to make this happen. However, adoption events are complex and can be...
Written by Tiro Miller, PhDFearful Dogs in Shelters Can Have A Brighter Future With Evidence-based Interventions
Summary: An interview with two of the authors of the ASPCA’s latest research paper, “Behavioral rehabilitation of extremely fearful dogs: Report on the efficacy of a treatment protocol.” With a combination of sufficient practical resources and a...
Written by Kristen Collins, MS, ACAAB, Emily Patterson-Kane, PhD, and the IAABC Foundation Editing TeamIssue 23 | February 2023 — Shelter
Everyone Is on the Behavior Team: How ASPCA’s eLearning Platform Broadens and Deepens Behavior Knowledge for Shelter Personnel
The ASPCA is committed to the evolution and expansion of behavioral care for homeless animals. The organization disseminates knowledge and research through its Learning Lab, an educational program focused on integrating science-based behavioral care into all aspects...
Written by Renee Dunaway and Amy DuskiewiczIssue 22 | February 2022 — Shelter
Claire: A Case Story
Summary: A case study of a shelter dog that came from a serious hoarding situation in Southern California. This dog initially showed significant avoidance and fear-based behaviors around unknown people. However, she was highly affiliative with other dogs and whilst...
Written by Paige Kim BCC-KA, CSB-CAn Interview with Dr. Lauren Finka
Dr. Lauren Finka is a postdoctoral researcher in animal welfare at the University of Nottingham Trent in the U.K. Her specialization is in feline behavior, particularly in sheltered cats. Dr. Finka recently co-authored a research paper entitled “Providing Humans With...
Written by IAABC Editing TeamIssue 21 | November 2021 — Shelter
The Dead Dogs on My Phone
Summary: Grief is a natural, unavoidable part of life with dogs. Especially for those of us who work in shelter and rescue. This article is a meditation on grief and the importance of witnessing and remembering the shelter dogs that come and go in the course of our...
Written by Paige KimPet Parent Support Network: Creating a Successful Alternative to Surrender Through a Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive Approach
Summary: During the coronavirus lockdowns of 2020, many shelters were able to successfully find fosters and adopters for the dogs in their care as more people wanted to share their homes with a pet. There was also an increase in requests for medical and behavioral...
Written by Beverly McKee ACDBC, CPDT-KAIssue 20 | September 2021 — Shelter
Horse & Halo: Caring for Horses at the End of Their Owners’ Lives
Summary: Horse & Halo is a facility that boards horses on behalf of individuals who currently suffer or have died from a terminal illness. This article looks at the history of this unique sanctuary and the stories of some of the horses and their people that have...
Written by Mandie StuhanIssue 19 | May 2021 — Shelter
Shelter Behavior and Medical Teams Find Success Through Synergy
Summary: Shelters, especially larger ones, are made up of different departments that seldom interact with each other. Shelter behavior and veterinary medical teams may have competing priorities due to limitations on their time and resources. However, if shelter...
Written by Melissa Taylor, Lori Seelhoff, DVM, Jennifer Pallanich, CPDT-KASelecting Shelter Dogs for Education Programs
When the idea of pairing shelter dogs and youth is discussed, dog training professionals generally have one of two reactions: That’s fantastic! – or – That’s risky! For decades, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA) has brought amazing...
Written by Paula Ferrel, CPDT-KADangerous Puppies: A Heartbreaking Choice
Summary: A deeply personal case history of a litter of puppies from a stressed, abandoned Catahoula. Signs of significant, unusual aggression were present from very soon after birth in all the puppies, despite their mother being social and affiliative. After several...
Written by Chelsea EdwardsIssue 18 | February 2021 — Shelter
Using Research-based Protocols with Shelter Dogs
Summary: Shelter personnel and consultants are always looking for new tools that to introduce dogs into a new home, help resolve inter-dog aggressive behavior within a household, or form shelter playgroups. This article describes how a single evidence-based protocol...
Written by Kimm HuntSocially Conscious Sheltering: Examples in Practice
Summary: Shelters are a part of the communities they serve, and should be aware of the needs and challenges people and animals in those communities face. Socially Conscious Sheltering (SCS) is a framework for helping shelters change the way they operate and make...
Written by Dot Baisly MS, CPDT-KA, and Mara Velez MA, CDPT-KABuilding Confidence in Foster Dogs Through Passive Observation
How often do we use observation as a tool? We tend to monitor, assess, and weigh whether what we observe is what we would like to see. We question ourselves and judge the responses we observe to assess whether we are getting closer to our goal or nearing the outcome...
Written by Irene PerrettShelter Dogs Go to College
Summary: What better way to teach college students about canine learning and behavior than inviting sheltered dogs into the classroom? This article introduces a program at Saint Francis University that matches dogs from a local shelter with psychology undergraduates...
Written by Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg¹, Megan M. Stanton²Issue 17 | November 2020 — Shelter
Socially Conscious Sheltering: Moving From Aspiration to Operation
In the first installment of this article series on socially conscious sheltering (SCS) for the IAABC Foundation Journal, we explored the basics of this relatively recent concept. In this article, we will explore how to operationalize the core concepts that we...
Written by Dot Baisly MS, CPDT-KA, and Mara Velez MA, CDPT-KAIssue 16 | July 2020 — Shelter
Socially Conscious Sheltering
The concept of socially conscious sheltering (SCS) as an approach to sheltering was developed in Colorado by shelter leaders Apryl Steele, DVM, Jan McHugh-Smith, Lisa Pederson, and Judy Calhoun. Three of these shelter leaders co-authored an article, “Crisis in Animal...
Written by Dot Baisly and Mara VelezCoping with Quarantine at a Shelter
This is a reflection on a distemper outbreak/quarantine from a behavior perspective, as opposed to an operations, medical, or management review. Our shelter Maricopa County Animal Care and Control is located in Phoenix, Arizona. We have two shelter locations known as...
Written by Kim Schulze, MSKids and Shelter Dogs Teach Each Other
As a professional working in animal behavior and training, I have always enjoyed the partnership of human and non-human animal, and what a better way to embrace that than to start teaching young people to respect and love animals. That was my inspiration to create a...
Written by Maria EgurenIssue 15 | April 2020 — Shelter
Training Cats to Become Therapy Cats
“I’m so happy to see my favorite cat!” the older gentleman said as Rainy and I entered his room at the senior retirement community. He held out his shaking hand to pet Rainy and said that he had been feeling down and in need of company. After he had stroked Rainy a...
Written by Allison Hunter-FrederickSo There’s a Pig in Your Shelter! What to Know, What to Do, and How to Help Them Thrive
Pigs are highly intelligent creatures. As a professional animal trainer, I will say pigs are more intelligent than dogs in many respects. They are also very emotionally sensitive; I’d compare them to an 18-month-old infant. They lack impulse control, don’t stay...
Written by Tabitha Davies ACDBC and Laura Bourhenne CDBCWhat Are We Going to Do With These Cats?! Case Studies in Difficult-to-home Shelter Cats: Murray
Murray was probably the scariest cat I had met in my five years of working one-on-one with shelter cats. The handsome 5-year-old neutered male Nebelung (a breed I’d never heard of before!) was surrendered by a married couple who was going to have a baby. Although they...
Written by Cheryl Kolus, DVMOne Dog at a Time: Enriching the Emotional Lives of Shelter Dogs
The animal sheltering world is an emotional one for all stakeholders: the animals who live with the stress of an imperfect and unpredictable environment; a shelter organization that is constantly addressing challenges with funding, staffing, and rehoming animals;...
Written by Dr. Nee Kang, PhD, CDBC, Elisa Ang, and Jaipal Singh GillEmpathy, Antecedent Arrangements, and Fun! What to Think About When Working with Youth Clients
Many of us working in the animal field do the work we do because we love animals. But we often don’t realize how much we really rely on interacting with people of all kinds, including children. I have a unique perspective when it comes to working with youth and dogs....
Written by Paula FerrelIssue 14 | January 2020 — Shelter
Communication and Documentation in an Animal Shelter
It is the responsibility of the Behavior and Training Department at our animal shelter, the Humane Society of Pinellas (HSP), to create, communicate, and implement behavior modification and training plans for the animals in our shelter’s care. Staff and volunteers are...
Written by Heather Gibbs, SBAGrey Zone Dogs
“Is this a no-kill shelter?” That’s one of the most common questions I was asked when I worked at the Denver Dumb Friends League, a huge shelter that provides services to over 20,000 homeless animals per year. The answer depends on how you define no-kill: Our live...
Written by Kayla Fratt, CDBCWorking with Rescues as an Animal Behavior Consultant
Building a relationship with your local rescue can not only be a way of improving the welfare and rehomeability of many dogs but can also help with expanding your client base and business. Time is a hugely important and often stretched resource and therefore the idea...
Written by Tom Candy, CDBCIssue 13 | October 2019 — Shelter
Selecting Shelter Dogs for Conservation Detection Work
The San Joaquin kit fox is a small endangered species of fox that lives in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Its scat is small — these foxes are only about 5 pounds. The almond-sized scat pellets are usually the same color as the desert ground. Biologists...
Written by Kayla Fratt, CDBCIssue 12 | July 2019 — Shelter
Setting Everybunny Up for Success: Helping Rabbits Succeed in Their Adoptive Home. Part III: The Adoptive Home
Congratulations! You’ve just adopted one of the most popular pets on the planet. (Ellis, McCormick, Tinawro, 2017). To allow for focusing on the behavior aspects of life with a rabbit, let’s assume that you’ve set up a proper environment for your bunny, have the...
Written by Emily CassellWhat are we going to do with these cats?! Case studies in difficult-to-home shelter cats: Craisin
Her big green eyes sucked me in the moment I saw them. They had the potential to be so beautiful, but right now they were filled to the brim with fear. And they wouldn’t change much for a good 10 weeks. Craisin came to our Colorado limited-admission,...
Written by Cheryl Kolus, DVM, KPA-CTPIssue 11 | April 2019 — Shelter
Setting Everybunny Up for Success: A 3-Part Series on Helping Rabbits Succeed in Their Adoptive Home Part 2 – The Foster Home
Foster parents are the backbone of any rescue operation. In addition, they are the best opportunity for animals to learn how to be part of a family. Fosters often fill a variety of roles, from simply being a holding space to nursing a sick animal back to health to...
Written by Emily CassellEuthanasia in Shelters: Data and Decisionmaking
Euthanasia in shelters is a frequently discussed topic among staff, volunteers, and increasingly on social media by people with little experience of the realities of the situation being discussed. Looking at these often highly emotional discussions, it would seem that...
Written by Amy SchindlerBoo! Training a Bear: 2018
Background Readers were introduced to Boo, a male grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), in the Winter 2018 issue of the IAABC Foundation Journal. Born in 2002, Boo weighs around 550-600 pounds in the spring, and up to 750-850 pounds in the winter before hibernation. We came...
Written by Cindy Peacock CPDT-KA, KPA-CTPThe Shelter Playgroup Alliance
How the Shelter Playgroup Alliance (SPA) Started Toward the end of 2017, I was putting the final touches on a canine enrichment program for the open-admission, high-volume shelter at which I am a behavior and training consultant. I started to develop an inter-dog...
Written by Mara Velez, MA, CPDT-KAWhat are we going to do with these cats?! Case studies in difficult-to-home shelter cats.
Case 1: Oomie I finally had a moment to get some work done on my laptop, so I pulled a chair up to the desk and started typing away. Oomie joined me. The sleek black cat jumped on my lap and settled in comfortably, purring. After a minute or two, Oomie stretched his...
Written by Cheryl Kolus, DVMIssue 10 | February 2019 — Shelter
Setting Everybunny Up for Success! Helping Rabbits Succeed in Their Adoptive Homes, Part 1: At the Shelter
One of the world’s most popular pets, rabbits are known for their adorable ears, noses, and cotton tails, but little is commonly understood about their behavior. Indeed, a U.K. study revealed that 50% of rabbit owners misunderstood their rabbit’s basic needs,...
Written by Emily CassellSpecial Challenges of Senior Cats in Shelters
How do senior cats end up in shelters? For over a decade, I have volunteered in the cat areas at Dallas Animal Services (DAS), a municipal shelter which has the fifth highest intake volume of animals in the United States. I routinely see senior cats on their rescue...
Written by Molly DeVoss, CFTBSIssue 9 | October 2018 — Shelter
Weekend Getaways: A Lifesaving Short-Term Foster Care Program
Shelter dogs can vacation too! Participants in our animal shelter’s Weekend Getaway program are provided with a much-needed break from the kennel, fresh scenery, and new friends to meet — both furry and non-furry. Weekend Getaways have increased foster volunteer...
Written by Heather Gibbs, CPDT-KA, SBAEnrichment and Stress Reduction for Sheltered Dogs and Cats: Targeting the Five Senses
Working in animal sheltering, we are all faced with combating the levels of stress experienced by the animals in our care. Animals are subjected to a wide array of psychological stressors, including loss of control of their environment, unpredictability of daily...
Written by Jennifer ToofDesigning Our Shelter’s Own Behavior Evaluation for Intakes and Transfers
I work for the Society for the Improvement of Conditions of Stray Animals or SICSA, a private nonprofit shelter and adoption center located in Kettering, Ohio. Our animal population is composed of dogs and cats from owner surrenders and transfers. We transfer dogs in...
Written by Renée Grant, SBAIssue 8 | July 2018 — Shelter
Building a Solid Volunteer Base
So many people working at nonprofits are caught in the cycle of focusing on the urgent task in front of them and just trying to get through the day. They know a well-trained and motivated team of volunteers could really help them accomplish more without breaking the...
Written by Kimberly Elman, Manager, National Outreach Volunteer Programs, Best Friends Animal Society®Pet Retention Programs in Play: A Case Study
In July 2017, the Pet Retention Program at Contra Costa Animal Services (CCAS) got a request for the return of a young tabby cat adopted from the shelter a few months prior. When Stefani Buzzard, the pet retention coordinator at the time, responded with a request for...
Written by Dilara Göksel Parry, CCBCFeral Kittens
It’s springtime, which means kitten season is upon us. Shelters around the country will soon be inundated with box after box of kittens that need to be bottle fed or “tamed.” These kittens will come from under a person’s porch, a live trap set for skunks, and inside...
Written by Kayla FrattIssue 7 | April 2018 — Shelter
Rural Dogs
Often times in sprawling country areas, such as the one I’m writing from now, the overall majority of dogs (and cats) brought into shelters and rescues are what I typically describe as “rural.” Not exactly social and not exactly feral, the...
Written by Mallory RobinsonExpressive Writing for Resilience in Animal Care Professionals
Helping professionals of all kinds are exposed to a variety of stressors related to both their workplace systems and the ongoing exposure to direct and indirect trauma. This complex combination of stressors requires helping professionals to explore the steps they can...
Written by Jessica DolceIssue 6 | February 2018 — Shelter
Successfully Handling Transitions in Shelters
Animal shelters and rescues often struggle with resources. The ability to adapt to change is just as important as community and staff support. In April of 2007, the Jacksonville Humane Society suffered a great loss after a massive fire, which you can learn more about...
Written by Amy Schindler, CPDT-KA, SBAIssue 5 | October 2017 — Shelter
Playgroups the LIMA Way
Playgroups are undoubtedly a beneficial practice in shelters and rescue groups, and over the past few years they have increased in popularity. As with most tools, though, playgroups can be implemented with varying degrees of skill, or misapplied altogether. While my...
Written by Emily Strong, CPBC, CPBT-KAHousing Cats in Shelters
Appropriate housing is essential for animal wellbeing in shelters. Without clean, comfortable, spacious housing, no amount of enrichment will be sufficient to maintain low stress levels. An animal may receive enriching interaction with staff, trainers, or volunteers...
Written by Jessica Hekman, DVM, MSIssue 4 | July 2017 — Shelter
Simple Solutions for Common Behavior Issues in Shelters
Since 1990 I have been volunteering in or working with a variety of shelters and rescue groups, until 2013 when I accepted a full-time position at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. While there, one of my fellow behavior consultants, Allie Bender, and I...
Written by Emily Strong, CPBCK9 Nose Work® in Shelters
The winter months are cold and damp in Kansas. During this time, a lot of our dogs do not get out for enough exercise. At the Lawrence Humane Society, we do not have indoor space for exercising our dogs. We are situated on 4 acres, and most of our property is divided...
Written by Amy OglebyEnrichment Involving Human Interaction Saves Lives
As I walked through the intake room of a large county animal shelter in Dayton, Ohio, evaluating dogs to enroll in the Behavior Modification and Enrichment Program (BMP), I stopped in front of a kennel and looked down at a young pit bull–type puppy, with a turned-up...
Written by Regina WillenShelter Canine Behavior Evaluations: Why The Animal Rescue League of Boston Uses MATCH-UP II
Over the past 15 to 20 years, behavior evaluations have become the standard of care in shelters for identifying dangerous and potentially aggressive dogs that may not do well in a home as a pet. Today 28 percent of shelters use a formal evaluation and about 60 percent...
Written by Dot Baisly, MS, CPDT-KAIssue 3 | April 2017 — Shelter
Spotlight on Research: Rabbits in Shelters
According to the House Rabbit Society, rabbits are the third most commonly surrendered pets in the United States. Rabbits have also been steadily gaining in popularity as indoor pets in many parts of the world, with an estimated one million pet rabbits in the United...
Written by Clare Ellis, interviewed by the IAABC Foundation Editing TeamSpecies-Appropriate Enrichment for Ferrets
When I first started volunteering with a ferret shelter, I had owned ferrets for over 13 years, but I still knew very little about them. I understood my own ferrets, but the species and its behaviours were something of a mystery. What I didn’t know at the time was...
Written by Shannan SkitchMultisensory Enrichment for Shelter Dogs
I have worked in the animal industry for over 18 years. I currently work at the Arizona Humane Society, where my original title was canine welfare specialist. My role is to provide mental and physical stimulation to the dogs in our care. We get a lot of medically...
Written by Mik MoellerIssue 2 | February 2017 — Shelter
Enrichment for Small Animals and Birds in Shelters: Often Overlooked But Much Needed
Animal shelter staff members often find themselves caring for (and rehoming) many animals besides cats and dogs. Though many of us have come to realize the importance of enrichment for the small and exotic animals in our care, it is often left on the back burner...
Written by Dot Baisly, MS, CPDT-KAA Circle of Friends Makes the Difference for Chiquita: A Video Case Study
Chiquita was living with two other under-socialized dogs in the previous home. Their owner was starting cancer treatment, and could no longer care for all three dogs. We ended up getting Chiquita and Ramon both surrendered to us. All dogs were fearful when we met...
Written by the Humane Society of Silicon ValleyCase Study: Raisin
Case Information Dog’s name: Raisin Sex: Spayed female Age: 1 year Breed: Terrier mix Other people involved: Cindy Lowrey, Megan Hewes, Sylvia Brink, Collin Stevens, and various volunteers. Location Animal shelters in Jacksonville, Florida. To help the community and...
Written by Amy SchindlerInterview With Dr. Alexandra Protopopova
“I was actually planning to be a veterinarian.” And so were declared the earliest professional aspirations of Alexandra (Sasha) Protopopova, PhD, a scientist whose work is finding a varied and eager audience in the animal welfare world these days. With a doctorate in...
Written by Barbara Davis CDBCThe Ethics of Medicating Dogs with Behavior Issues in a Shelter Setting
Each year, millions of pets are surrendered to humane societies, county pounds, and private rescue groups. While a survey of the research shows broad variation nationally, it is fairly well accepted that somewhere between three and four million dogs per year are...
Written by Susan CullinanIssue 1 | October 2016 — Shelter
The Perils of Placing Marginal Dogs
(Originally published in Sheltering Magazine, 2003) Rosie was a loving, beautiful dog with doting owners, but in the end, her predatory instinct made her too dangerous for human society. Her attack on another dog was the last straw for her owners, who vowed never to...
Written by Trish McMillan Loehr
Mike is an emerging animal behaviorist sitting in Minnesota in the US. He carries an MSc in social science research methods (U. of Kentucky) and brings a passion for understanding how the methods we favor shape the knowledge we privilege. Coming from careers in teaching and non-profit program evaluation, he found companion animal behavior by accident helping anxious feline friends in a unique shelter in Ohio. It is a privilege and a joy to combine these and advance the journal in this exciting time of growth.
Alexandra is a certified dog behavior consultant and holds a PhD in neuroscience. She has spent over a decade in academic research and is author of numerous scientific articles on different aspects of brain development, including olfaction, neurogenesis, and memory formation. Her work as a behavior consultant focuses on creating trusting relationships between humans and their dogs through communication, respect, and science-based knowledge. Alexandra is very dedicated to promoting more science within the dog training world. She supports dog guardians and professionals to build a solid understanding of scientific principles and provides guidance on how to apply these to life with dogs. She runs Canine Mindscape in Alicante, Spain.
I’m an Argentinean-Italian dog trainer and CSAT who spent eight amazing years in Brazil learning and working with dogs. Now based in Europe, I volunteer with the IAABC as a translator and, in my free time, help rehomed dogs settle into their new families. I love bridging languages—and hearts—between people and their dogs.
I’m a translator, editor and journalist, as well as canine educator for children and families, specialized in canine body language. I am part of the IAABC Family since 2019, as Language Director at the IAABC and Translators Team Lead at the IAABC Foundation, at the moment. I volunteer at local shelters and promote bite prevention and animal welfare at schools and events all over my country, Uruguay.
I’m a Chilean veterinarian and certified dog trainer, based in Madrid and working at a veterinary clinic. I’ve been volunteering with the IAABC and the IAABC Foundation for over seven years. In my free time, I help dogs and their guardians strengthen their bond, and I love spending quality time with my own dogs.
Master’s Degree in Natural Sciences, with a strong interest in environmental sustainability and the protection of natural ecosystems. Passionate about writing and science communication, she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on research projects, such as Equine International, and with non-profit initiatives in the environmental and cultural fields. She is writing for different magazines, including IAABC Foundation. Her major goal is to improve horse’s welfare through behaviour research and empirical practice.
Adrienne Hovey is the copy editor for the IAABC Foundation journal and the owner of
I believe that knowledge from a wide range of disciplines fosters a more empathetic, curious, and engaging world. I am passionate about social, environmental, and minority rights issues (both human and non-human), and this has invariably led me down the road of multi-species anthropology. Perpetually curious about the world we live in, I hope to contribute towards making the world a kinder place for all of us earthlings to live on!
Beckie Wheldon is based in England, UK, and has been supporting the IAABC Foundation Journal team as a volunteer journal content editor since early 2025. She has a BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and has recently completed a MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour. With a passion for both practical and theory, Beckie is proud to be a part of the journal submission journey and support the process of applied animal behaviour information and research getting from our writers to the readers. As her full-time career, Beckie is currently part of the UK veterinary charity, PDSA, as a Learning and Development Business Partner for Veterinary, where she supports the professional development of people in their Veterinary Hospitals. Her last position was with the rescue charity, Dogs Trust, as a Canine Behavioural Welfare Manager, where she worked on embedding evidence-based behavioural welfare best practices throughout policy and practices, with both internal and external professional stakeholders, such as the police and military. With a varied background in kennels, caregiver education, and charity dog training classes, Beckie is also an accredited Animal Training Instructor (APDT UK) and an Associate Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC).
Erin Jones, PhD, IAABC-ADT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CANZ-ATI, CANZ-ABC, is the Journal Director of the IAABC Foundation Journal. She holds a PhD in Human–Animal Studies, an MSc in Anthrozoology, a PG Dip in Animal Welfare, and a BSc (Hons) in Anthropology and Psychology. An international presenter, editor, writer and mentor, Erin’s writing bridges research and practice with a focus on the intersection of philosophy, ethics and dog-centered behaviour practice. She is the author of Constructing Canine Consent and co-editor of Topics in Non/Human Coexistence and numerous academic and trade journal publications.