WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS DISTURBING IMAGES AND LANGUAGE!!
Unless you didn’t have internet access last week or don’t read every post about dogs on Facebook, you probably know about and/or have seen the video of a trainer at the Academy of Canine Behavior in Bothell repeatedly hitting a dog two years ago with a plastic baseball bat during a “training session.”

Dog lovers were outraged after seeing a video of a “trainer” at the Academy of Canine Behavior in Bothell hitting a dog repeatedly with a plastic baseball bat during a training session.
Here’s a link to the video in case you missed it.
The video contains disturbing images that will horrify anyone with an ounce of compassion for animals.
WASHINGTON’S WEAK ANIMAL CRUELY LAWS
Someone anonymously sent the video to Snohomish County Animal Services about 3 weeks ago.
The agency opened an investigation and conducted an unannounced visit to the Academy of Canine Behavior to interview the “trainer” in the video and inspect the facility.
Animal Services told Q13 that “their investigation concluded the trainer’s behavior towards the dog did not rise to the level of animal cruelty, as defined by law.”
Unfortunately, this is true – Washington’s animal cruelty laws are notoriously weak.
According to RCW 16.52.205, “A person is guilty of animal cruelty in the first degree when, except as authorized in law, he or she intentionally
(a) inflicts substantial pain on,
(b) causes physical injury to, or
(c) kills an animal by a means causing undue suffering or while manifesting an extreme indifference to life, or forces a minor to inflict unnecessary pain, injury, or death on an animal.
Most dog lovers, including myself, would say the pain was substantial, especially if you consider the mental pain the dog suffered.
However, “substantial pain” is a vague standard that lawyers can interpret in a number of ways.
This is one reason why, in my experience, some animal control agencies won’t prosecute animal abuse; they don’t want to spend the time and money on a case they don’t think they can win.
OWNERS DENY TRAINERS ABUSE DOGS
The “trainer” in the video is Carie Taylor. Before someone publicly posted the video, the Academy of Canine Behavior listed her as a “senior trainer.”
The owners issued this statement in response to the hailstorm of criticism this video generated.
In it they said they knew nothing about the video or the incident until Animal Services contacted them about it. They reassigned Taylor to a non-dog related position after seeing it and fired her after they saw the video on Monday.
In an interview with Q13 Fox this week, reporter Jamie Tomkins asked facility co-owner Colleen McDaniel if hitting animals is “part of the training.”
First, Ms. McDaniel answered “no.” But then she qualified her answer by saying, “Has it ever been done? Of course it has, but it better be justified.”
OK, if they only hit dogs with plastic bats when it is “justified,” they must train people to do it, right?
How else would they know when hitting a dog is justified?
Also, if hitting the dog was not justified, why didn’t anyone stop it? Why were some people laughing? And why didn’t anyone report it to the owners?
DOG ABUSE INGRAINED IN CULTURE
Based on what former dog trainers told me, using harmful training methods and mistreating the dogs has been a common practice for years and is ingrained in the culture at the Academy of Canine Behavior.
I’ve written about several shady dog rescues in Washington. In every case, adopters, potential adopters or former volunteers consistently made similar observations.
A statement from one person who adopted a dog with parvovirus from a rescue doesn’t carry much weight. Multiple statements from people who adopted dogs with parvovirus created a strong narrative that was difficult to disprove.
The statements from former Academy of Canine Behavior trainers also have commonalities.
More than one described these forms of abuse the trainers inflicted on the dogs:
- dragging dogs wearing pinch collars down hallways
- lifting dogs wearing pinch collars by their leashes and holding them in the air
- screaming at the dogs
Significantly, you’ll see that more than one ex-employee says they witnessed AOCB staff beating dogs with plastic bats.
Some them also said the kennels had mold and maggots.
So far, three former trainers contacted me to say what they observed while working there. I edited their statements for space and clarity and added bolding and italics.
I also posted screenshots of statements from other former trainers I found online.
When you read them, I think you’ll notice similar themes tying them together. That’s why, in my opinion, they tell a powerful story that paints a disturbing picture.
They also contradict many of the McDaniel’s claims.
So does a statement about a minute into this video by man who lives next to AOCB. He made it to protesters outside the facility last Friday:
“We hear them yelling at the dogs to shut the fuck up at 3:30 at night. We hear yelps. They abuse the hell out of the dogs. This metal building? They put hundred of dogs in it during the holiday season.”
Based on statements from ex-employees, Snohomish County Animal Services reopened its investigation into AOCB.
It asked anyone who witnessed abuse at AOCB to contact them at animalservices@snoco.org or 425-388-3440.
Many people will be watching to see if Animal Services once again lets AOCB gets off scot free or holds the facility accountable for abusing dogs.
Statements from Former Employees
Mandy Liora (2011 until July 2013)
Colleen claims that her staff use this harsh training method (hitting dogs with plastic bats) only on extremely dangerous dogs or dogs scheduled for euthanization.
This is a lie.
Just a few weeks ago, one of my sources personally witnessed a trainer beating a boxer puppy with a whiffle ball bat.
When I was at the Academy of Canine Behavior I saw staff using these methods on all variety of dogs.
Things I personally witnessed:
Trainers used excessive force used against dogs like dragging them down hallways on pinch collars, sliding and screaming, because their trainer lost their temper.
A senior staff member kicked a dog in the ribs and hips.
Trainers lifted dogs up by their leashes (some wore pinch collars) and jerked repeatedly until they screamed and peed themselves. I can still remember the hysterical rage in that trainer’s voice as she screamed at that dog, jerking him around and berating him for peeing where he wasn’t supposed to.

Some customers paid extra for a AOCB’s “board and spoil” package. Former staff say due to overcrowding many dogs never received the special attention their owners purchased.
Some type of bugs, maybe maggots, are in the walls. It isn’t constant, but periodically water will leak down inside the walls and those nasty little guys will fester and eventually come falling out of cracks.
The ceiling is full of mold. Or, at least, it was when I was there. The black kind.
AOCB has a severe over-crowding issue. They are supposed to cap off at approximately 170 dogs, and even that is pushing it.
However, many of us were witness to 200, 200+ capacity days, particularly around holidays.
I spoke to a woman who worked there over 20 years ago. She said she saw Colleen rip a dog off the ground by a leash/pinch collar and swing it around. After her staff got up and walked out of the demonstration, she threatened to fire them if they ever walked out like that again.
Liz Walker (May – June, 2013)
“I worked at The Academy of Canine Behavior for about 3 months before making the decision to quit for the sake of my own mental health. Someone needs to investigate it and shut down immediately.
They kept the dogs in damp, dark, and disgusting kennels. There was mold and mildew in the cracks of the concrete floors. The whole facility was a health code violation.
If any dogs would bark other employees would yell “shut the fuck up!” while throwing metal dog bowls down the hallways to make loud noises to scare the dogs. Or they sprayed dogs with a hose to scare them quiet.
The dogs boarded there were terrified and traumatized. OACB charged extra for their “board & spoils” option where the dog was supposed to receive extra enrichment, walks, and time out in their exercise yards. However, they rarely ever took the dogs out of the kennels.
And when they had us walk the dogs it was a less than 5 minute walk around a small grass field.
Additionally, without owner consent, they kenneled dogs from different owners together throughout the day and overnight with no supervision. They were overbooked and over crowded with dogs and frequently over the legal limit.
I felt horribly depressed after working there for such a short time. I can’t even imagine how the poor dogs under their care must have felt.
In regards to the video that sparked this outrage, I am not at all surprised to learn that their lead trainer treats the dogs this way as I had heard many rumors about their training program, though I am completely appalled and disgusted by her actions. No one should hit an animal with ANYTHING.
Statement from Former Trainer Who Wants to Remain Anonymous (April-October, 2017)
I’d like to make reports of animal abuse and unsanitary conditions as a former employee of the Academy of Canine Behavior.
I witnessed first hand an employee mishandling a Husky for not coming inside. He walked out to the outside area of the kennel run and aggressively grabbed the dog by it’s neck/scruff. The dog started screaming immediately as he lifted it off the ground walked over to the inside kennel guillotine door and threw the husky inside. Then proceeded to yell and cuss at it to “stay the fuck inside” as he closed the guillotine.
I reported it to my manager during my next shift. She said someone would handle it. When nothing came out of it I talked to my manager again. She told me other people filed similar complaints against THE SAME EMPLOYEE. I was then informed the employee could not be fired or wouldn’t be because he had been with the company for 15 years and he was reliable and consistent which is what mattered most to the owners.
I frequently told management other staff did not clean kennel areas properly. Eventually, maggots filled the holes in the floors of the Out Runs. Specifically the hole in the first kennel to the right of Outrun 4.
Omg these people need to be held accountable! This is horrible. Let’s put a pinch collar on you and drag you across the floor! Maggots in the kennels are you kidding me! I will protest any day! These people are sick. They are screwing up these dogs! They treat these dogs like they want to torture them. What a bunch of sick people.
Like they want to torture them?? They ARE torturing them!!! If this kind of treatment was done to a human being ~~ from child to senior citizen would it not be considered abuse?? Would the authorities not be knocking on doors & asking questions regarding the well being of the beaten, screamed at, hosed down, picked up by your neck by the pinch collar around the throat, or how about the shock collar abuse that’s probably similar to being tasered or zapped with a stun gun & then kicked in the ribs & screamed at until you wet yourself… Sounds like a horribly abusive facility that’s been getting away with this far to long & being run by inept, uncaring, money hungry animal abusing assholes, who obviously all deserve a filthy, dirty, maggot ridden, black mold infested, prison cell where they can all be shoved together in over population & treated like I described above. Ms. Taylor whose featured as the abuser in that video should really count herself as being lucky that she hasn’t gotten her ass beat anytime she comes & goes because if she was down here in the wild west we would have already taken care of it.
I had a truly bizarre “doggy daycare” experience there. My giant, socially awkward juvenile Native American Village Dog was crated with a bark collar on all day for not handling an abrupt introduction to 50 other dogs the way they wanted him to. I spent a good chunk of time discussing his quirks with them before I left. It seemed like they understood that he was enthusiastic and energetic, but still awkwardly puppy-ish. He trips over little dogs, but ADORES them. He doesn’t always understand when another dog is disinterested in play time, and takes time to get used to new environments.
All manageable by other trainers, doggy daycares, and myself. (Yes, I realize it indicates shortcomings as an owner – he is constantly in training, and at the dog park as often as possible, where he behaves beautifully. He’s just a total goof. He learned how to be a pet from a big, cranky cat…)
But AOCB can’t handle him. They’re supposed to be the professionals, but instead they immediately gave up on him, tossed him in a kennel, and when he barked, they put a shock collar on him. Moderate use of a shock collar appropriately and carefully does not concern me. However, when I picked my pup up about 6 hours later, he was cowering, wouldn’t look at me, wouldn’t respond to me, and whined all the way home. His voice was rough for the next day or two, as well. I wish I’d known it wasn’t a fluke. I would have tried to report it immediately.
I’m so sorry. Thanks for sharing your story. I’m glad he’s ok.
Any use of a shock collar should cause you concern. Scientific, animal behavior studies have revealed an 82% risk of subsequent fearful behavior or aggression as a result of shock collar use.
Ok, so if our laws suck, what do we do to change them so this doesn’t keep happening?!
A rep/senator needs to put together a bill and introduce it in the Legislature.
I’m sad to see all of the negative stuff about AOCBas we have had the opposite experience when using them over the last 5 years. When my geriatric dauchshund was on multiple meds and had a special diet ACOB went out of their way to make his final stays comfortable.
ACOB is the only place we feel comfortable keeping our Great Dane. She loves her trainer Veronica and while she is a timid dog, she’s never been scared to go.
I hope they can address their culture and make a change for the better.
I have taken my dogs multiple places and I have yet to find any other where they are more calm to go to.
I’m glad you had a good experience. I’m sure others have as well. But the sheer number of similar complaints from ex-employees and former customers shows many of the trainers use outdated, abusive training methods.
I hope they do make changes. Many people will be watching to see if they do.
It’s definitely made us question taking our GD back. We feel lucky that one of the trainers has taken a special interest in our dog and keeps her in the office with her.
I am so outraged. I feel helpless and wish there was something we could be doing. If anyone hears of any way please let me know. I think the owner is the worst of all… she knows she lied, she knows she let these trainers beat tied up dogs and them fired them for getting caught, she said on an interview she can’t comment if the beating was justified as she wasn’t there…. hello… we all watched the video… the dog was in no way deserving a beating… the people videoing and laughing are sick sick individuals. What can we do????????????
Robert, what has been overlooked here is that the conduct in the video IS Second Degree Animal 7
Furthermore, dominance and “balanced” dog training have repeatedly been proven to be harmful to dogs. Yet the “alpha” and “Omega” myth prevails. I estimate over 80 percent of trainers in our area use outdated, harmful training methods, to include shock collars, prong collars, choke chains, hitting dogs and more.
Why? A lack of KNOWLEDGE and skills that are rooted in science, as well as the fact dog training is unregulated, meaning anyone can get a business and proclaim themselves a dog trainer.
Dogs deserve so much better!
I worked at AOCB for a time and did witness dirty kennels, overcrowding (dogs crated for their entire stay. Maybe It’s hard to find quality kennel workers who really care when they scoop poop all day for minimum wage. Spoil dogs do not get spoiled. But owners pay extra. I have seen success the training program in some cases and there are employees who never abused a dog in their life. Having said that, these are the methods that are taught to new trainers. They do yell at the dogs to be quiet a lot. There are neighbors and believe they have complained. When I worked there shock collars were rarely used and there was a plastic bat. Usually to hit the floor or wall to make noise. This ????? training style may be something of the past. AOCB needs to explore new and different methods to teach their trainers.
Alpha style, dominant training has been debunked for decades, yet it lives on in the minds of the uneducated. Even the creator of this style of training later realized his error and regretted what he’d done. Yet this harmful, abusive method of “training” lives on.
This type of training carries severe risks of fearful or aggressive behavior in dogs, usually with a delayed onset, like PTSD – but sometimes it occurs right away.
Positive, science-based, force-free training is the only safe, non-harmful way to train dogs. I am one of these trainers, and I also practice Behavioral Adjustment Therapy when I work with fearful / aggressive dogs. It is also positive and free of force or intimidation.
I have never hit a dog, yelled at a dog or used a shock collar, prong collar, choke chain or any form of physical or verbal punishment. It takes knowledge, skills and adherence to real, science-based principles to work the right and safe way with dogs.
These people are on the opposite end of the spectrum from where they should be.
These people should hang their heads in SHAME! Taking people’s hard earned money to BEAT, DRAG and HANG terrified dogs out of frustration and or to get them to comply is out of control. I feel sorry for any dog who has had to deal with the stress and horrors there. Shiock collars of they bark? Screaming at the dogs to shut up? Spraying with water and throwing metal bowls to shut the dogs up? You people are absolute savages with not one OUNCE of skill or dog acumen. Terrorizing dogs is not training! You are heartless, hateful and revolting poor excuses for people who have chosen to work with dogs. You can see it clear as day on your pathetic “Senior trainer” in the video- PURE DISDAIN for that dog. I couldn’t are less if he was unstable, a biter or fear biter. Your pathetic “training” techniques were only designed to intimidate and instill FEAR. Only loser barbarians train this way because they’re too unskilled and hateful and angry at the dogs to learn a better way. The other pathetic losers who were LAUGHING and saying that poor dog in the video was a bad dog shows the culture YOU have created in your revolting facility. God help any otjet dig that ever passes through your hands or the hands of your horrific “trainers”! Don’t forget all the inconsistencies you’ve said BTW… you the owners were quoted as saying the trainers are always under supervision! YOUR WORDS! You people clearly lie so much you can’t keep your stories straight. How greedy do you have to be to commit FRAUD by telling people their dogs are getting extra spoiling and they pay extra for that and you losers don’t provide what you told the customers they were paying extra for? Wow! Absulutely despicable!!
Is this facility still open? After learning about methods who would take a chance and leave their dog there? There has to be a better and safer place to board your dog.
It is for now, yes.
This place needs shut down and everyone involved prosecuted and their names made public!!
Awful, disgusting people
There are a lot of self-proclaimed, uneducated, violent dog trainers everywhere, Including in the Service Dog arena.
One of the major problems with the dog training field is that there are no requirements, laws, etc for calling oneself a dog trainer or Service Dog trainer.
These “fake” self-proclaimed dog trainers are typically the only ones that know there are no laws or requirements for them. Where as the rest of us think that there must already be…..I was one of those that thought there was some oversight or licensing especially when it came to Service Dog trainers working with our disabled Veterans.
I had a horrific experience with one of these self-proclaimed service dog “trainers”.
After I witnessed Sharon Majewski of Cascade Service Dogs in Olympia WA abuse dogs she was “training” by lifting a dog in the air by the leash which was attached to a choke/prong collar and shaking it by the neck, spraying several with vinegar while in a kennel, screaming at them, I filed reports with everyone I could think of but since what she did didn’t meet the State Law for animal abuse there was not much that could be done. Her behavior inspired me to get involved with creating Laws. I was able to have an amendment passed last year making it a crime to injure a service dog in training to help protect these animals from being abused by these violent “trainers”. With the help of the American Legion, I was able to get a resolution approved that was given to the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs giving guidelines of what a Service Dog Trainer needs to “look like”.
It will be a long and a difficult road to shut down these fake trainers as they push back with those of us that are trying to make them get credentialed/licensed but it will be done. These folks are not background checked, not regulated, not verified in anyway most of the time AND most of their “experience” can not be independently verified.
We have to stop these folks from abusing these animals and in the case of service dogs, also abusing the disabled people that they are working with.
The very thought that my dog years ago was in their month of boarding and training program makes me sick to my stomach. I was told at the end that the trainers were FRUSTRATED thar Kaiya was not trainable that she was one of the 2 percent there wires were crossed in their head basically mentally challenged. I’m SICK thinking that they got FRUSTRATED with her and tortured her. Kaiya is gone now but I will be mentally torchered not knowing the hell she went through. Tears are literally falling now right now. This is emotionally overwhelming…to read that this abuse has been going on for 20 years my God my dog frustrated them… I am distraught.
That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.
I wish I’d have seen this sooner. I just picked my dog up yesterday after 2 weeks of stay and train. They called me Thursday and told they suspected he had a touch of kennel cough and that due to that he’s lost about 10 lbs.
I got there and his tail stayed under him. His nose was snotty and green. He looked awful.
I got him home and couldn’t even do the welcome home stuff because he was absolutely miserable. This morning I got up and took him to the emergency vet. Not only does he have kennel cough but he has pneumonia and he didn’t lose 10lbs, he lost 22lbs- in 2 weeks!! They even brought me his food container and told me he’d just finished the rest of his food that morning. I’m livid and unfortunately after reading this, it sounds like I’ll get no where by calling and demanding more answers and compensation for my vet bill.
I’m at a loss for words and disgusted that I sent my baby there.
I’m so sorry. I hope your dog is feeling better.
My friends dog was brutally attacked at this facility on Wednesday, March 9th. She gave directions that her two dogs were only allowed to go out in the field together, with no other dogs, as one is old and very vunerable. Her dogs were out and an employee let two pit bulls into the field that were to have NO contact with other dogs due to their very aggressive behavior. My friends dog was ripped apart and is clinging to life. . The kennel sited employee error. No follow up call from the owner of this disgusting place.