10/09/2026
Today is R U OK? Day.
Three simple words that can mean more than we sometimes realise.
We often talk about checking in on the people around us — but in my world, wellbeing exists at both ends of the lead.
Over the years, I have worked across enforcement, animal welfare, investigations, training and behaviour. I have walked into situations that stay with you long after you leave. I have seen animals frightened, neglected, injured and failed by the people who were supposed to protect them.
I have had to make decisions that were necessary to protect an animal, knowing those decisions would change lives.
You don't simply take off your uniform, close the gate, finish the consultation or drive home and forget those things.
You carry some of them with you.
There are cases I will never forget. Dogs I will never forget. Decisions I have replayed in my head long after they were made.
And I know I am not alone.
Rangers, Compliance Officers, animal welfare workers, veterinary teams, shelter staff, trainers, behaviour professionals and countless others working with animals carry things that the public may never see.
We are expected to remain calm when situations are confronting.
Professional when emotions are running high.
Compassionate when someone is angry with us.
And strong when sometimes, underneath it all, we are hurting too.
Today, as a professional dog behaviour consultant, I spend much of my time helping people understand the dog standing in front of them.
Not judging them.
Not trying to prove that I know better.
Helping.
Helping an owner understand why their dog is struggling.
Helping them recognise what their dog is communicating before that whisper becomes a scream.
Helping them find safer, kinder and more appropriate ways to manage, care for and train their dog.
And sometimes that means having difficult conversations.
So when a professional gives you advice you weren't expecting, challenges something you've always believed, or suggests there may be another way, please take a moment before telling them they don't know what they're talking about.
You may not know what that person has already dealt with that day.
You may not know what they have witnessed during their career.
You may not know how many animals they have fought for, how many difficult conversations they have had, or how many times they have bitten their tongue while someone directs their frustration at them.
Most of us aren't doing this work because it is easy, it's far from it.
We do it because we care.
We care about the animals who cannot advocate for themselves.
We care about the people who love them but sometimes need help understanding them.
And we keep showing up because we genuinely want people and their dogs to have safer, healthier and happier lives together.
So today, ask the question.
R U OK?
Ask your colleague who always seems strong.
Ask the person who spends their working life caring for animals.
Ask the professional who has just had a difficult day but still showed up to help you.
Ask yourself.
And maybe take a moment to look down at the other end of the lead and ask:
Are you OK too?
Because dogs have bad days.
People have bad days.
And sometimes the greatest thing we can offer either of them is a little more patience, compassion and understanding.
Be kind. You rarely know what someone — or the dog beside them — has already been through. 💛🐾🐾
