Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Thompsen.
Hi Cameron, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hope2K9 Foundation was established about five years ago and has continued to grow each year as an organization that provides education, empowerment, and support to dog owners or rescuers struggling with dog behavior issues. Our mission is to help keep dogs in their homes and out of shelters and rescues, so we provide classes and online resources to resolve the common issues that result in re-homing or even unnecessary euthanasia. Our team has many partnerships with other rescues and shelters, helping with behavior cases and foster family training. We also provide long-term complementary boarding to military service members, so their pets can be waiting for them when they return.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like any non-profit organization, we are often limited by funding and volunteer capacity, so there have certainly been “lean” times – alongside plenty of very successful and supportive years. We’ve refined our programs, and grown our team, so in the process of training folks and losing them to various life changes or even moving locations, our community is ever-evolving, and the challenge has sometimes been in trusting the unknown outcome.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We specialize in education and consulting, helping dog lovers understand the cause behind problematic behavior issues, so they can resolve them and ensure success long term with personal pets, or rescue/foster dogs. We are known for exceptional success in dealing with separation anxiety, reactivity, and aggression, and I’m most proud that our clients and community members gain very personal growth and development on the human end of the leash in the process of reaching out for help with their dogs. We build better leaders, save the lives of dozens of dogs a year, and we are not crazy exhausted, dog-hoarding rescue people! LOL
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
COVID gave the animal rescue and dog training industry a HUGE boost and a new challenge. So many people sought out puppies and adoptable dogs in 2020, then quickly discovered the consequences of insufficient or limited socialization and too much togetherness at home. There is a huge surge in separation anxiety (or as I call it, Togetherness Addiction), and as folks in our community return to work or school, they’re finding that their new addition is ill-equipped to navigate that change. For aspiring trainers, there is an overabundance of work available to you, and for pet dog owners, there is a need for patience and endurance as the quality professionals book out many months in advance.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@hope2k9.com
- Website: hope2k9.com
- Instagram: @hope2k9
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hope2k9foundation
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDJSiqiyRak1CoQEH2zl7Pw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hope2k9-foundation-escondido
Image Credits:
Lacey Michelle Photography
