Buddy Up Animal Society

07/01/2025

For six years, two photographers have carefully followed the canines and documented their secret lives

06/30/2025

06/25/2025

Some people think doing this work means you get used to loss. But the truth is, you never do. And this one hurts in a different way.

I didn’t know Mikayla Raines well. We followed each other, exchanged a few kind words here and there. But I knew of her, the way many of us in this world of wildlife do. She was brave, she showed up. Not just for the animals in her care, but for the people who watched and learned from her.

And this week, we learned that she’s gone.
From what we know, relentless online bullying played a part in that loss.

She had a husband, a young daughter, a life, a purpose. And even all of that wasn’t enough to shield her from the cruelty of people who will never understand the cost of what we do or the damage their words can cause.

I don’t show my face online very often and honestly, it’s on purpose. It creates just enough distance to make the hate easier to delete. People don’t know me by name, they just know the work. That small boundary makes it easier to breathe sometimes.

But Mikayla showed up fully with her face, her voice, her heart. And for that, she was met with the kind of cruelty that can break even the strongest soul.

If you’ve never been on the receiving end of that kind of online hate, I hope you never are.
If you have then you already know the tightness it puts in your chest, the way it lingers long after the screen goes dark.

We are human, we are trying.
And when you write something cruel under someone’s post, we see it, we feel it. It doesn’t disappear when you close the app.

If your only contribution to this world is cutting others down, I don’t know what to tell you, except this:
Kindness is free and so is silence. Pick one.

Mikayla should still be here, laughing with her daughter, caring for her animals, dreaming bigger.

Instead, she’s gone. And if that doesn’t make us all stop and think, I don’t know what will.

Please be kind. Please be better.
And if you do anything today, let it be in honor of someone who gave her life to kindness, only to be met with the opposite.

Rest in peace, Mikayla. I’m so sorry this world didn’t protect you. 🤍

06/21/2025

The COVID-era animal overadoption — and resulting overabandonment — is still creating havoc and heartbreak at SF pet shelters, which are seeing the highest euthanization rates since 2013 because people are giving up dogs like mad.

06/12/2025

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/11/pets-deportation-immigration

There’s no formal network for families caught up in mass deportations to re-home their pets, but communities are stepping up to help

06/11/2025

Being balanced in dog training means a trainer uses punishment and reward. Sometimes they rely more on the punishment side with the "reward" being the absence of punishment. Often balanced trainers will speak negatively about positive training: the use of food, dogs being trained without boundaries or not being your dog's alpha/leader.

They will lead you to believe things like a dog is trying to "get one over on you" or that you need to put a dog in its place. They will often focus on the human aspect, so what your dog should be doing for you rather than the dog's own emotional needs in the situation.

Sure, balanced dog training sounds good: balanced diet, balanced lifestyle... it sounds like something really you want and need, right?! 🤔

Not exactly. 🤨

The problem lies in that the severity of the punishment is always dictated by the human. If you are the human giving that punishment this can create distrust and fear in your dog's eyes. If you are dealing with an already anxious dog this can lead to aggression or suppression. Suppression often looks like a "cure" but really this is when learned helplessness has taken place. Learned helplessness means your dog sees no way out of a situation, so they surrender to it. You may have heard this as another term used in horses: breaking. Broken dogs are extremely sad cases as they are stripped of decision-making skills, independence and are motivated by fear rather than choice and positive rewards.

Let's be honest, people are lazy... and punishment gets results - quickly. These trainers will look like magicians, getting a dog under "control" in a very short space of time, but just like us if someone tells you off enough times for something you are going to either be quiet or eventually snap.

Science helps us to understand that dogs who are trained with reward-based, positive methods are happier, healthier and have better bonds with not only their humans but the world around them.

🤖🐶 Dogs are not robots to be programmed, they are living, thinking creatures with emotions similar to ours. When you train using fear, punishment and intimidation you are limiting your dog and your relationship.

More on balanced training here: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2016/08/in-dog-training-balance-is-off.html

06/10/2025

06/05/2025

With temperatures rising, please remember that asphalt and concrete can burn tiny feet and delicate paws!

05/31/2025