"You are a leader in Canada and North America in firmly but compassionately speaking in favour of humane training methods — and against methods that cause harm."
Shelter Medicine Veterinarian
Vet-to-Behaviourist Consultations
Collaborative case support for dogs and cats presenting with fear, anxiety, compulsive behaviours, noise phobia and more.
Shelter ConsultingBehaviour Assessments & Staff Training
Intake assessments, population behaviour management, and hands-on staff training for shelters and rescues of all sizes.
For TrainersTrainer-to-Trainer Support
Case consultations, live webinars, and professional development courses for dog trainers. All virtual.
Behaviour expertise built inside the shelter system
Emily Priestley is a certified dog and cat behaviour consultant with a decade of frontline shelter experience and a specialty in fear, anxiety, compulsive behaviours, and sound sensitivity.
Before starting her consultancy, Emily spent over ten years working within the BC SPCA system — handling more than 2,000 dogs, overseeing large cruelty and hoarding intakes, and working with complex behaviour cases transferred from across the province. She improved her shelter's live release rate to over 90% and achieved the lowest length of stay in the entire organization.
Trusted by veterinary and shelter teams
"Emily's referral reports are among the most thorough and clinically useful I've seen. She communicates clearly with both our team and the client, and her follow-through is exceptional."
Veterinarian, Small Animal Practice — BC
"Having Emily work with our team fundamentally changed how we approach behaviour assessments. The staff training was practical, grounded, and immediately applicable on the floor."
Shelter Manager, Animal Rescue — Alberta
"Emily's ability to read a complex case and offer a calm, structured path forward is exactly what our clients — and our team — need. She's become a trusted part of our referral network."
Veterinary Behaviourist
"We brought Emily in for a consulting day and she identified issues in our intake process we hadn't seen. Her recommendations were concrete and our length-of-stay numbers have improved."
Operations Director, Large Municipal Shelter
Ready to make a referral or inquire about consulting?
Whether you're a veterinarian referring a complex behaviour case, a shelter team exploring consulting support, or a trainer looking for case consultation — Emily would love to hear from you.