05/06/2026
Hello friends!
I wanted to thank all of you for being so wonderful and supportive as I recover and heal from my recent knee replacement surgery! I have had the best care from my medical team, friends, and of course the residents of Pibble Hill and am very much looking forward to hikes with the dogs when I'm strong again!
In the meantime, time is running out if you want to join our spring/summer 2026 cohort for our Shelter Dog Behavior Mentorship which starts next week (May 14th is our first meeting date)!
We're going to spend some time between now and then sharing testimonials from some of our talented and wonderful alum on how the program has helped them revitalize their adoption programs. Today we'd like to share this feedback from friend ad alum Leeron Liftik, who transformed his overcrowded shelter to one with empty runs (!!!) through the magic of playgroups!
As the year draws to a close, I want to thank the most influential person in my professional life: Trish McMillan.
About a year ago, I made what felt like a risky decision—I put my graduate work on pause to commit to a year-long mentorship under Trish's program.
At that point, I had been supporting shelter animals for over 13 years and working as a certified dog trainer and behavior consultant for more than ten. I thought I knew my way around dog behavior in both shelter environments and home settings.
I was wrong.
Or rather, I had only scratched the surface.
What Trish has provided is nothing short of transformative.
Where I thought I had been developing mastery, she revealed the depths of what there is to know.
In areas where I faced agonizing decisions, she guided me to find truths I can stand behind with integrity.
Where I thought my skills were strong, she showed me how to elevate them to world-class standards.
And in complex situations where no solutions seemed possible, she taught me to approach change incrementally—making it achievable and, ultimately, successful.
Her mentorship is life-changing if you're boots-on-the-ground passionate about helping shelter animals. Whether she's connecting me with world-renowned experts, responding to my skyscraper-length texts about challenging cases at all hours, or generously sharing her own experiences to ignite understanding, Trish has been the single most influential force in bringing me to a level of competency I can truly stand behind.
The Results Speak for Themselves.
The impact of working with Trish extends far beyond theory. I've been able to integrate her unique, tested, and incredibly creative approaches into my private practice—approaches that create joy even under the most desperate conditions and strained resources. Just last week, I witnessed a dog who had endured significant social trauma play with a large breed dog for the first time in seven years. That breakthrough happened because of what Trish taught me.
I've dramatically improved my ability to understand canine social behaviors and create fast, effective solutions that transform dogs' relationships with their caregivers. Through her mentorship, I've demonstrated measurable improvements in my shelter work that were formally unprecedented in my organization. Most significantly, I've secured an employment contract with my county that provides substantial support, generous compensation and represents the first time the county has ever contracted an animal behavior consultant to support community sheltering efforts and ultimately continue this work under Trish's ongoing guidance.
Perhaps most importantly, I've found complete peace and confidence—not because I always make perfect choices, but because I know I'm on the right trajectory, supported by the best in the world when I struggle.
An Unmatched Commitment
I've tried repeatedly (and unsuccessfully) to convince Trish that her offerings are deeply underpriced. But her commitment to creating relief, comfort, and safety for animals across the globe is unmatched. She's not in this for profit—she's in it to transform the field.
If you're looking for a mentor, a path forward, or access to understanding aspects of animal care that are often misunderstood and deeply understudied, look no further. Trish has been instrumental in creating the standards of care we most reliably practice to support happy, safe animals living their fully expressed lives.
Working with her has been the best professional decision I've ever made.
I'll never be able to thank you enough Trish; but you can count on me spending the rest of my life trying to reflect this gratitude through my work with animals.
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