About Devan
Devan Amundsen, CPDT-KA
Devan@AnimalWelfareUnited.com
Certificates
- Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers
Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed
Certified Behavior Consultant, Canine- Knowledge Assessed
- Fear Free Certified
- Google Certified Educator
- FEMA Emergency Management Institute
Animals in Disasters: Awareness and Preparedness
Animals in Disasters: Community Planning
- PC-832 Power of Arrest completed in 2018
Speaking Events
June 2022 Human Animal Support Services Behavior Job-A-Like- "Problem-Oriented Behavior Records"
July 2022 Best Friends National Conference- "Creating Consistency and Clarity with Training Protocols for Dogs in Shelters."
May 2023 HSUS Pet Care Expo- "Functional Rewards for Everyday Dog Interactions."
April 2024 Maddie's Fund Camp Maddie - "Coaching Dog-Dog Interactions" presentation, plus three post-event workshops centered around the same topic
May 2024 HSUS Pet Care Expo- "Solutions for Dogs with Big Feelings" (Workshop) and "Building Owner Support Programs" (Learning Lab)
Work Experience
Oakland Animal Services 2022 to Present
Dog Behavior Coordinator
Evaluation of individual dog behavior to assist in determining appropriate outcome pathways
Supervision of daily dog playgroups in the shelter
Rollout of problem-oriented behavior reporting
Drafting documentation, including a comprehensive dog-dog practices document highlighting how to use information in reports for matching dogs to potential adopters and fosters
Building volunteer training modules for dog playgroups within BetterImpact
Remote documentation of dog behavior in the shelter, specifically dog-dog assessments
Remote report-writing summarizing available records of dog behavior in and out of the shelter
Obtained a grant, oversaw logistics, and spoke at a "Community Building Dog Behavior Day" sponsored by Maddie's Fund that invited local shelter staff and volunteers to learn about dog behavior and network
Dogs Playing for Life: Canine Center Florida 2020
Independent Contractor
Advanced behavior and training in a population of dogs with challenging behaviors, including those with severe bite histories
Bergin College of Canine Studies 2018 to Present
Instructor - 2017 to Present
Course development and instruction of Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science courses as assigned by the college including Remediating Problem Dogs, Remediating Problem Assistance Dogs, as well as the following courses with an additional supervised laboratory course: Dog Rescue and Shelter Operations, Obedience Training, Environmental Management, and Recreational Scent Detection Training.
Assistance in the design and implementation of updates to the Bachelor of Science program curriculum, including designing and instructing entirely new courses including Shelter and Rescue Dog Outcomes, Playgroups and Enrichment, Human Animal Support Services, Managing Group Training Classes, and Vocational Scent Detection Training.
Design and Instruction of single-session lessons for the Summer Seminar program, including Intro to Animal Sheltering, Remediating Problem Dogs, Environmental Management, and Dog Interactions.
Participation in various committees including the AS Program Advisory Committee, BS Program Advisory Commitee, and Campus Effectiveness Planning.
Dog Kennel Manager - 2019 to 2023
Acquisition and management of foster homes for assistance dogs in training at a level that eliminated the need for on-site overnight dog housing.
Assistance with evaluating, training, and placing assistance dogs for various outcomes, including social therapy roles, facility roles, (working in hospitals, psychiatric offices, schools, etc,) and assistance roles, (PTSD and mobility.)
Design, implementation, and oversight of a novel dog rescue program, taking dogs from shelters and rescues to be assigned to and trained by college students as part of their degree program, then placing the dogs into adoptive homes
Petaluma Animal Services Foundation 2013-2019
Animal Control Officer - 2018 to 2019
Daily animal control duties including patrols, dog bite investigations, and stray animal transport
Daily collaboration with local law enforcement
Administrative rescue operations including intake and outcome documentation, and follow-up with fosters and adopters
Interim Animal Shelter Manager - 2017 to 2018
Designed, introduced, and managed highly successful short-term foster programs for dogs in the shelter
Designed, wrote, and implemented shelter-wide cleaning procedures based on resources from UC Davis, ASPCA, and local hospitals
Implemented updated cash handling and closing procedures for customer service staff
Absorbed social media management, maintaining engagement and traffic on social media platforms
Absorbed volunteer coordination, including design and implementation of volunteer management software
Oversaw and implemented mailing tracking procedures, resulting in a quantifiable increase in dog licensing compliance and decrease in mailing costs
Created updated adoption applications and trained staff in reducing barriers to adoption
Dog Care Coordinator - 2014 to 2017
Coordinated and transported dogs transferred to our facility from outside organizations, (including a leadership role in a large-scale rescue from out of state)
Disaster relief and response during the series of fires in Sonoma County in 2017, including emergency evacuation of all dogs in the building within 12 hours
Designed, implemented, and led low-cost public training classes
Follow-up training for adopters, including designing behavior modification programs for pet owners
Diverted surrenders by offering training support and/or referring to other community resources
Evaluated dogs to determine appropriate outcomes
Coordinated and supervised dog adoptions and dog foster arrangements
Kennel Technician - 2013 to 2014
Daily cleaning of dog kennels
Safely handled and vaccinated animals with unknown backgrounds, including animal control cases