SPCA Employee Earns Certification as Pet Dog Trainer
April 15th, 2010
We are proud to announce that one of our own employees, Dayna Villa, Director of Operations at the Delaware County SPCA and owner of Taking the Lead Dog Training, has earned her credentials as a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, or a CPDT, effective April 15, 2010. Such a designation requires at least 300 verified hours of experience with dog training in the last 5 years, community references, as well as passing an extensive examination.
Mrs. Villa has been employed by the SPCA for the past year, and volunteered for 4 years prior to her employment. In her current role, she oversees the operations of the facility, as well as performing evaluations of shelter animals and facilitating the foster care program. She provides private training outside of her Delaware County SPCA duties.
“We are very lucky to have Dayna working for our organization. Her knowledge of animal behavior is extremely helpful when dealing with animals with unknown backgrounds and temperaments. She has helped countless numbers of animals through behavioral enrichment to deal with the stress of being housed at an animal shelter, and she allowed them to transition into good homes” said Kerry Bruni, the Delaware County SPCA’s Executive Director. As part of the SPCA’s initiatives to provide valuable resources to the community, Mrs. Villa offers behavior counseling, at no cost, to owners surrendering their pets. “If I can keep pets in their home, without them having to enter the SPCA, that is a success for me,” says Ms. Villa. Homes considering adopting a pet from the SPCA receive counseling and advice on bringing a new pet into the home as well. “It is our goal to set these animals up for success, so that they can become a member of the family. That is what this job is all about, finding these pets loving, forever homes,” says Bruni.