Linda Randall DVM KPA-CTP TAG TEACH LEVEL 3 and Kathie Nurena MD KPA-CTP CNWI

This session explores trauma as it affects both people and animals, using a dual framework: Trauma-Informed Care for humans and Trauma-Assumed Care for animals. We discuss how trauma—whether acute “Big T” trauma or cumulative “Little T” trauma—presents in veterinary, shelter, training, and foster-care environments.

Participants will learn how trauma influences behavior, learning, medical care, communication, and professional relationships. We break down this complex and emotionally charged topic into practical, relatable components, offering clear language, observable indicators, and accessible conversation starters that can be used across disciplines.

A central focus is maintaining a balance between compassion and professional sustainability—supporting animals and the people who care for them without inadvertently causing additional harm or secondary trauma to professionals themselves. The goal is to help move both people and animals toward greater stability, safety, and trust.

Ayoka Bubar BA CPDT-KA CKC and CARO judge

Join Ayoka for this presentation to learn tips and tricks for changing behaviour when training time is limited.

Linda Randall DVM KPA-CTP TAGTEACH LEVEL 3

Moral injury refers to the lasting psychological and emotional impact that occurs when an individual’s moral framework is violated—through acts of commission, omission, or betrayal by trusted systems or authorities. This concept is increasingly recognized in healthcare, emergency response, and animal-care professions.

Building on trauma-informed principles, this session explores situations where distress may not feel like “trauma” in the traditional sense, yet results in profound ethical and emotional harm. Participants are invited to examine how moral injury may help explain chronic stress, disengagement, anger, or grief that is otherwise difficult to name.

We also address a challenging and often avoided dimension: how to responsibly acknowledge and work with individuals who have caused harm and are themselves impacted by it, without minimizing the harm done to others. This discussion is framed carefully, with attention to accountability, boundaries, and ethical care within training, veterinary, and shelter contexts.

Karen Marchin DVM PhD

Behavioural change is often the first or only clinical sign of underlying medical disease in dogs and cats. Pain, pruritus, gastrointestinal disease, endocrine disorders, neurologic conditions can alter emotional processing, arousal thresholds, disrupt sleep, and behavioural responses. Failure to identify these contributors risks misdiagnosis, inappropriate behaviour modification plans, and compromised welfare. This presentation will review the neurobiological and physiological mechanisms that influence behaviour, with emphasis on central sensitization, inflammatory mediators, HPA axis activation, and sleep fragmentation. Particular attention will be given to chronic pain, allergic disease and pruritus, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and endocrine disorders as common but under-recognized drivers of aggression, anxiety, reactivity, house soiling, and inter-animal conflict.

Bringing a puppy into the home with a senior dog can be incredibly rewarding—and incredibly tricky. Puppies arrive full of energy and curiosity, while older dogs often prefer calm, predictable routines. With careful planning, clear boundaries, and respect for each dog’s needs, you can create an environment where both your puppy and your senior companion feel safe, valued, and set up to thrive together. 

Linda Randall DVM KPA-CTP TAG TEACH LEVEL 3 and Kathie Nurena MD KPA-CTP CNWI

Resilience is defined not as toughness or endurance, but as the ability to adapt positively to stress and adversity—often strengthened through supportive relationships and meaningful experiences.

This session introduces the HOPE Framework (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences), a research-based model developed at Tufts University. The framework identifies Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and four foundational building blocks—such as emotional growth and play—that contribute to long-term resilience and health.

Although originally developed for human development, these principles translate powerfully to animal-care systems and interdisciplinary teams. We explore how intentional, positive experiences can foster resilience in people and animals alike, even in high-stress environments.