I have heard it said before “all good things come to an end.” Maybe that is what is happening now.
With my heart in my throat at the thought of what I’m about to do. I am looking forward to a career where I can reach many more pet owners beyond just our local community. Maybe I’m a little crazy and those who know me well probably can attest to this.
My drive to do more and accomplish something different has left me with the difficult decision to permanently close our training facility. The KAS Schoolhouse.
Thinking back the last 3 years have been a rollercoaster but one thing has stayed consistent, the Schoolhouse. This place I had bigger goals for and never achieved. To paint, or build more agility equipment, put up beautiful huge photos of the individuals that helped shape Kind Animal Services and will forever be remembered. I dreamed of classes for all aged dogs. Educational programs (or 4-H) for children to help teach the next generation how to communicate and work with animals in the least intrusive and science based way.
There is so much potential and ambition that exists in this place titled the KAS Schoolhouse but it’s time to pack it up. My little/big classroom for all animals.
The doors close at the end of December. I will greatly miss seeing puppies experimenting with their social skills and learning conflict resolution, adolescent dogs learning skills like self-control, and adult dogs finding joy in learning and spending time with their humans.
The Schoolhouse offered a warm place in the winter and shade in the summer for dog training year around. It brought in many new people that I eventually even called friends because of how close I got to them and their dogs.
Now listen up before you go looking for another trainer/dog walker/pet sitter we are NOT going out of business!
I want to thank you for all your support over the last 3 years through covid and the wake it left. KAS is still recovering from the financial strain of the pandemic. My plan moving forward is to try and build back up the cushion that is now totally depleted. Earlier in the year I chose to discontinue our Dog School program due to the lack of consistent registration. My best guess is the market’s needs have changed again but I am out of ideas and money. Personally I’m a bit overwhelmed by the never ending list of things that are expected of a business owner.
Additionally, burn out is always nearby when I care so much about animal welfare. Animals deserve to be understood! No matter how loud I yell, the echo sounds as my voice bounces off the walls. Those beyond the wall not ready to hear the message breaks me. Some days I just don’t want to bother any more because what’s the point?
Thank you for being here, reading this post, and continuing to be an advocate for the humane treatment and training of animals. You are the reason I will not give up hope and continue sharing the message. It’s your support that is driving me to this next iteration of Kind Animal Services and my career growth.
So what's next?
Kind Animal Services is continuing to offer our current services from your home or we can meet in public spaces.
Training classes though nothing is scheduled yet, we will be seeking individuals, local businesses, or vet clinics that want to partner or host small classes. I’m open to individuals holding master classes or workshops in their home or business. If you want to see KAS continue the work of live classes and sessions then this might be a place where you can help. I will be open to traveling the pacific northwest and maybe further in the future. If you are interested in hosting a class or workshop just reach out and we can talk about logistics.
Veterinarians and groomers I would like to partner with you to host individual private training or if space allows a small group class dedicated to teaching pet parents cooperative care training that ultimately makes your work easier.
In Person Consultations will continue to be available in the pet’s home or we can choose a public space to conduct our sessions. Recently, I have started specializing more in difficult behavior cases and modification of these behaviors. In these types of cases an in-home consultation is usually more beneficial than having you load up and bring in your anxious or challenging animal to our space. There were a few exceptions to this but we will creatively figure that out when the need arises.
Behavior Modification (Virtual Consulting) and specializing in increasingly difficult cases will be the focus of KAS in 2023. The really neat part of working with these cases is that many behaviors can be addressed without the physical presence of the trainer. In fact it is recommended that the case be done through remote consulting solely.
Why? Have you ever taken a class or hired a trainer but felt like it didn’t really work? Or was it only effective while in the classroom or when the trainer was present but as soon as you were left alone with your learner (dog) the unwanted behaviors creeped back in? This is a common issue with in person training or even board and train programs. Virtual behavior consulting offers pet parents a platform to be consistent in their behavior modification programs as they have guidance every step of the way (everyday).
The secret to a successful behavior modification program is consistency in real life and at home situations over time.
I know it can feel like the quick fix to take your dog to a trainer but reality is as a living animal there is almost always a relapse of the behavior. My goal is to teach you the pet parent how to teach and control your dog for life.
Now don’t get me wrong my plan is to continue to offer In Person Consultations where applicable but consider doing a few virtual sessions first to save money and get more out of your in-person sessions if you choose to go that route.
Finally, We are still offering Tutoring sessions –2-3 hour enrichment/training sessions with a trainer. We will be now offering this as a pick up/drop off service from your house. Tutoring sessions are the catch all dog adventure and training service. Dogs are taken on adventures. If we can, we may provide the training session in your home as well. It really all depends on what you set as your goal behavior and what you would like your dog to get tutoring on.
To see where we will be located and what class opportunities are available into 2023 please check out our Event Calendar page.
One final service I would like to mention before I log off is our exclusive Puppy Immersion Program. I will be taking puppies into my home for a fully immersive educational experience. This program is for puppies 10 weeks to 6 months old and is specifically designed to provide the very important developmental education that young puppies need to construct viable coping mechanisms and produce well adjusted adult dogs. The program is 4 weeks long in total. More information will be coming out about this later.
Once more thank you for reading and being a loyal client of KAS.
Cheers to 2023 and the future of Kind Animal Services.
Founder and Animal Behavior Consultant
–Kelsie Scroggins