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About Kelsie

Hello, 

I have been asked on a few occasions who I am and how that relates to the work that I do. I think of myself as an artist that studies science and believes that I am no better than any other form of life on this planet. I approach animals and address their behavior issues with understanding. I'm not here to fix anyone but rather create solutions that improve human's lives with other species.

I know and respect the fact that all behavior has a function to the individual performing the behavior. It would be ignorant to think that we, a human, have any right to alter another animals behavior with out understanding the function of the behavior in the first place. Even if we can't find the exact function we can respect that the individual is behaving rationally and for that they deserve to be heard. It doesn't have to make sense to a human. 

I gained my education first from awh-struck curiosity and keen observations when I was young. I had many teachers growing up. I had my momma dog and guardian Emmie. I had my goat friends Crystal and Wonka who taught me the power of play. I learned hard lessons about life and death through my bunny Fluffy. I gained knowledge in the destruction of modern trivial distractions from my lovely cockatiel Dazy. And there were others that have influenced me and taught me. Above all others is my own mother who reminds me without a word that learning is a constant in this life. 

I started KAS when I was 19 and fresh out of high school. My business was dog walking and pet sitting but I wasn't your average pet lover. I started my business because I saw the lack in quality of pet sitters and other pet care providers. Because animals couldn't talk I witnessed many professionals abuse this fact never telling the human owner of the pet that their dog got in a fight, their cat doesn't like them so they spend minimal time with the cat. It was heartbreaking to see animal's wants and needs blatantly ignored by humans entrusted to care for them. I worked hard to develop emergency plans and policies for how I would handle moments when an animal ran away, bit someone, or there was a fire in someones home. I based my business on being honest and sharing with pet parents what I noticed or how their animals truly were. I obtained business insurance, pet sitting certifications, and loads of happy client reviews. 

After about 5 years of pet-sitting I started dreaming of being of further help to animals and there people by training and behavior modification. In came a new round of webinars, classes, books, and research. A skill many don't know about me is I have a way of picking up information, distilling it down, and ability to apply and grasp often complex concepts. 

Before beginning this journey of becoming a behavior consultant I should mention my joy and passion for training that started when I worked for 5 years (through most of high school) at a boarding facility. I was blown away by how reinforcement systems worked and were so incredibly powerful. I spent lots of time training my own dog in agility, Rally obedience, and trick training. My personal dog EnKira a Belgian Malinios was a task trained service dog (despite my not having a disability). EnKira could take my checks into the bank, wait in line, and bring the wallet to the counter for the cashier to deposit. She would follow diligently at my side carrying her own leash through busy down town strip, wait patiently outside shops that had a no pet policy with a flick of my hand. 

It seemed natural that I would pursue a career in animal training and behavior. Today I hold a handful of certifications and am a proud member of a number of intelligent animal training groups. I have spent the last 7 years operating as a professional in the animal training space. It was more recently that I discovered another detention to animal behavior in the form of animal communication. 

I'm currently developing my understanding of the psychic intuitive process of communicating with animals. This is something I was already doing but I have been too afraid to openly say to someone that I was capable. If you don't believe in this form of communication through the heart you don't need to. My work is aided by this ability but it isn't a substitute for the science of behavior and training protocols. 

The truth is my methods flex and bend to match the individuals that I am working with. I believe that each behavior case deserves to be worked through in a way that honors the animal and strengthens the relations around them. I'm dedicated to finding a solution that all parties involved can agree on. If you feel compelled to work with me then take that as a sign and lets talk.

 

I am well versed with challenging behavior issues related to anxiety and aggression using data tracking and modern behavior modification processes. I'm also a Certified Service Dog Coach and if you are seeking help with training your dog to be a service dog or looking to obtain a service dog that is something I would gladly assist you with. Further more I work directly with rescues and shelters and have a strong eye for assessing and matching dogs with their their perfect family. If you let me know what kind of dog you are looking for I can assist in finding and even doing some initial training. 

Kindly, 

Kelsie Scroggins

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Testimonials

Kelsie has been amazing for our dog and family! She listened to our concerns, came to our house and modeled ways to help our dog who has anxiety. She is very knowledgeable and in all things canine and shared tons of information and tips. She had us practice ways to help our dog that had our dog thinking she was playing games. We have faithfully played our games and incorporated the strategies and ways of doing things that Kelsie taught us and have seen vast improvement in our dog's behaviors. We would recommend anyone with questions or concerns about dogs to contact Kelsie. She truly cares about your dog and family.

Lucinda Kamimae

Kelsie is a very animal trainer. She has a true gift for reading and understanding animal behavior (and their humans!)
Kelsie formed a great relationship with our pack: a puppy a millennial and a senior!

Jenny Haven

Kelsie is ABSOLUTELY amazing! When we lived in Hood River we sent our young Coonhound to Kelsie's doggy school and she LOVED it! She learned so much working with Kelsie and was so much easier for us to handle at home. A few months after we moved to Seattle our dog started to regress and was stressed from all of the changes, we sent her to Kelsie to board and train for three weeks and since she's been home we have seen so much improvement in her behavior. Kelsie gave us training exercises to do at home everyday and has followed up with us multiple times to see how Fiona is doing. We love Kelsie and can't imagine sending our pup to anyone else!!

Sydney Milligan

I don't know what would have happened with my new rescue dog, Ruger, if I hadn't found Kelsie.

The poor dog had been through so much and was very fearful. That fear was sometimes expressed through some pretty scary looking behavior towards some people, yet he was so sweet with me. I didn't want to give up on him, but I was so unfamiliar with this type of reactivity that I knew I needed professional help.

I started contacting local trainers and Kind was the one that really stood out. After a detailed phone interview, Kelsie offered to do an in-home session with Ruger to assess his situation and begin work on his issues.

Kelsie has worked wonders with Ruger already and is teaching me more than I ever realized there was to know about dog behavior. I'm so pleased and grateful that she helped me to understand that Ruger is a sweet dog, not aggressive, and that he can get well beyond many of the fears that were holding him back.

I can't wait to see how much farther he's going to go in our continuing sessions with Kelsie!

Christina Fischer

Kelsie is an amazing dog trainer, and was a god~send for us! We were looking for a trainer to help with very specific issues for our 2 farm dogs and feel so fortunate to have found Kelsie. Not only do we really resonate with her approach (really tuning in to the animals, and not using shock collars, etc), but in 1 session she made a ton of progress with us and our dogs on issues we have not been able to figure out for years! She was extremely generous with her time, essentially staying for "as long as it takes," and gave us wonderful follow-up instructions and reminders. And maybe the most important thing is the feeling I had after the session (and that's remained with me) is one of feeling hopeful and encouraged, that we're going to be able to do this with our dogs. We feel so very grateful to have found Kelsie and will continue training with her as needed.

Yaeli Moon

Kelsey is fantastic to work with. She came to our house to help us with our reactive, anxious and very sensitive dog. Our dog immediately responded to her. Her presence is calm, confident and clear which is exactly what our dog needed. Most importantly, she shared her knowledge and insight(which was spot on) with us. We were able to see her model interactions with our dog but more importantly, she gave us tips and things to think about that would help all of us change our relationship with him. Since her visit, we have been working on the things she talked about. Our dog has learned SO much, is less reactive and much happier. Kelsey loves her work and it's evident that she is authentic and genuinely cares about her clients. She teaches you how to train your dog. I would highly recommend her services.

Ann Hansen

Such an amazing company! The owner cares about animals and wants them to be safe happy and free. She brings the experience to the owner and helps them understand the psychology of their pets. I would be lost without Kind Animal Services.

Angela Bruggeman

Over the course of my life I've gone through many iterations on training techniques and working with different trainers. Kelsie is by far the calmest most knowledgable trainer I've worked with. In a world of shock collars and spray bottles it's refreshing to work with someone who understands and can communicate the process for working with the animal vs against. My most recent dog was inherited and a real challenge. KAS was able to calm my anxiety and provide me a clear path forward.

Derwyn Harris

Kelsie (& Kind Animal Services) is incredible. She is as compassionate and caring as she is insightful and educated.

After a 4 thumbs down experience with another trainer in Bingen, WA, we engaged Kind Animal Services to help build/rebuild our traumatized & timid rescue puppy's confidence, and teach us how to best blend him into our household and lives. She took time to know Wylie and his unique challenges while slowly gaining his trust, first. During these one-on-one sessions we learned a lot about Wylie and gained tools to support his growth.

A month-long board and train at her private facility sealed the deal.

Kelsie's business name says it all, but don't mistake "kind" for being a "softie". She has been thoughtful & savvy at every step.

We highly recommend Kelsie and Kind Animal Services!

Heidi, Tim, Foster and Wylie 🐾

Kelsie and staff are experts in Positive Reinforcement training. They care deeply about animals and helping customers partner with their dogs to create great canine citizens. I can't say enough great things about her training programs and pet sitting

Brian Feucht

Taking the animal's feelings into consideration and having a bond with them is THE BEST way to train. The end result is a willing pet and an incredible friendship. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. KAS gently guides you in this direction. Your dog (or any other animal) will appreciate it! Kelsie's kind, gentle and uncritical approach is so refreshing.

Tina Luzader

Kelsie is very knowledgeable and presents creative solutions for addressing difficult puppy behavior. I attended both the Puppy Socialization and Foundations classes and saw great improvement in our puppy with reduced anxiety in new situations, as well as following basic commands. We will continue with additional training in the future, and I would highly recommend Kelsie and Kind Animal Services.

Siobhan O'Halloran

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Education and Credentials

I embarked on my journey with KAS in 2011, but my career with animals began in 2005. My roots in animal care run deep, having grown up on a small farm in Parkdale, Oregon, surrounded by a diverse array of creatures. From a young age, I was actively involved in dog 4-H and training classes, honing my skills through competitions with my own dogs. My experience with animals is not just a profession, but a lifelong passion. 

In 2021, I completed Susan Freedman’s Living and Learning With Animals (LLA) course. This allowed me to enter the certification world and apply for more advanced education. I chose this course as my foundation's course because, by this time, I already understood how behavior worked and the theories and science behind behavior. LLA offered a deeper understanding of the core principles of behavior without being specific to species or behavior challenges. Others who reviewed the course made comments about its college-level class execution. It’s also a structured live learning experience where students interact with other students, the instructor, and teacher aids. 

Following LLA in 2023, I applied and got accepted into the Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) course by Malena DeMartini. While this course focused explicitly on separation-related issues in dogs, it fosters underlining skills in utilizing data tracking to measure the success of behavior modification. Additionally, this course teaches a deep understanding of systematic desensitization. This behavior modification technique is instrumental in helping dogs work through fears and anxieties in various situations. I have since used the techniques in this class to solve cases from dogs who panic when someone drives up the driveway to car chasing. 

Fast forward to 2024, and I pursued my Service Dog Coach (SDC) title. As most people know, service dog training is a very specialized field, and dogs trained for this level of work are highly trained dogs. This was the most hands-on course I have taken to date and required that I prove my training skills by training a dog to perform two particular service dog tasks. Unfortunately, part of the way through teaching a dog the chosen task, the dog underwent some changes that deemed that particular dog not able to perform the task. I had to select and train a different dog to do the task. In record time, I completed my assignment with a dog with absolutely no previous training experience. I appreciate this course's dedication to testing a dog trainer's skills in the field, not just offering certifications based on book knowledge. 

In the same year, I swiftly completed the Fear Free Pets - Animal Trainer certification, reaffirming my pledge to work with animals to reduce stress and fear. This course was a comprehensive exploration of working with animals in high-stress environments, such as veterinary clinics, shelters, and grooming salons. The fear Free Animal Training certificate not only demonstrates my knowledge and understanding of fear responses, but also my ability to reduce stress and help animals become more resilient and active participants in their health care and grooming. This practical certification is a testament to my commitment to the well-being of the animals I work with. 

Recently, in 2025, I will be compleateing the Aggression in Dogs Master Course. Furthering my education on working with high-risk and challenging dogs. 

While my most recent certifications are certainly significant, they are just one part of my comprehensive education. I am a proud member of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), and Animal Training Academy. Through these esteemed organizations and others, I have enriched my knowledge with numerous webinar classes led by industry experts. I also engage in self-study, delving into scientific literature on a wide range of topics, from species-specific knowledge to nutrition, health, training, and behavior.
 

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