Dear Animal Welfare People,

If you feel like your only two options are “stay & suffer,” or “leave, abandon the animals, and live with guilt” —

I am here for the third option:

You can stay and be supported.

You can stay and be well. 🐾

Taking care of yourself is part of the work.

Because the animals need you — and you deserve to stay well enough to keep showing up for them.

Close-up of a friendly-looking dog, possibly an American Staffordshire Terrier, lying outdoors on the grass.

I’ve spent 20+ years in animal welfare, so I understand this work deeply. I’ve also been trained in grief & trauma and know two things to be true:

The animals need us steady and secure, and the community needs to stop losing its best people to burnout.

Compassion fatigue can be prevented with preparation and open communication, continued education, a sense of belonging that’s rooted in balance not toxicity, practical tips for enhanced wellbeing, and shared connection.

You don’t have to be in fight-or-flight to be devoted.
You don’t have to be a martyr to be dedicated.
You don’t have to sacrifice your nervous system to prove you care.

You need and deserve support, and the animals need and deserve people who embody steadiness to remind them of what home felt like.

(So they can borrow that bliss while they wait at the shelter or with their foster family to [hopefully] find home again)

I’m here to hold you and introduce you to resources so you can keep showing up for the animals without losing yourself in the process.

breathwork-coach-for-animal-professionals

I’m Katya

LONGTIME dog FOSTER, shelter VOLUNTEER & positive reinforcement dog TRAINER

HARVARD masters in risk prevention & certified in trauma, grief & wellness

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, “BE YOUR DOG’S BEST FRIEND”

SUPPORTING ANIMALS & THE PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR THEM

People are the heart of animal welfare, and too often, they’re carrying it alone.

Using my education, training and certifications, I have created The Thriving Volunteer and designed wellness services specifically for the animal people whom I love the most.

I’m here to help our community stay steady, supported, and resourced… so they can keep showing up for the animals without burning out in the process.

More about me:

  • 20+ year as an animal advocate and volunteer

  • Foster to over 75+ foster dogs, focusing on seniors

  • Masters of Education, Harvard Graduate School | Risk & Prevention with at-risk communities

  • Trauma-informed, certified in breathwork + creative grief coach

  • Certified Family Paws educator + positive-reinforcement trainer

  • Award-winning author, “Be Your Dog’s Best Friend” (2025)

  • BFA, NYU Tisch | Writer + performer

More About Me

My Signature Services

Sunburst design with a beige circle in the center containing the text 'LIFELINES, ONE HOUR TO PROCESS WHAT YOU'RE CARRYING' in black.

Feel better in one hour with a Lifeline session.

Bring whatever you or your team are carrying — grief, a difficult situation, communication challenges, burnout or something you can’t quite name. Using breathwork, creative exercises, journaling, movement and more, we’ll work through what’s underneath so you can leave feeling lighter, clearer and ready to move forward.

Learn more
A graphic with radial pastel-colored stripes and text in the center that reads 'Hold the Front Line, 8-week workshop for team culture'.

Improve team culture, retention and morale with a Hold the Front Line workshop.

Designed for animal shelters and rescue groups ready to invest in their people, Hold the Front Line is an 8-week interactive workshop that equips staff with practical tools to prevent burnout, strengthen resilience, integration of new ideas and practices, and a real opportunity to build a healthier team culture.

Learn more
Cover page titled 'The Thriving Volunteer' for an online support group for animal volunteers, featuring a background with radiating pastel-colored rays.

Join The Thriving Volunteer for ongoing community + support.

The Thriving Volunteer is my online membership community for animal shelter + rescue volunteers offering wellness support, continued education, resilience tools, and connection with others who “get it'“ to help prevent burnout and stay in the work longer for the animals.

Learn more
woman-cradling-beagle-and-pitbull-dogs

The Tiny Tips Wellness Library 🐾

Filled with dozens of mindset, somatic, grief & joy exercises led by me and designed specifically for animal volunteers and the various situations you encounter.

This list of over 40 doable, practical, 5-minutes or less tools help you cultivate more grounding, relief and energy to bring into your exchanges with animals.

Not sure where to begin?

Join The Thriving Volunteer Membership Community and get access to

Yes, I want access to the Tiny Tips Library

Welcome to my nerdy collection of certifications!

life coaching certification
Dogs and kids certification
Breathwork certification
Logo depicting a heart with a blue teardrop inside, surrounded by the text 'certified creative grief support practitioner' and 'creativegriefstudio.com' in a circular design.
Gold and black badge with text indicating a writing competition, with 'Winner' prominently displayed, and the year 2025, organized by DWAA.

media coverage

The image shows a webpage from the Best Friends organization, featuring a book review of 'Be Your Dog's Best Friend' with an orange dog face logo and the slogan 'Save Them All', surrounded by text about dog-human bonding and a brief mention of the book's author and content.
A woman with long, curly brown hair smiling and sitting outdoors on the ground, holding a beagle dog with a gray, white, and black coat. The background features green trees and soft sunlight.

TESTIMONIALS

  • “Having a deep conversation with someone who genuinely loves dogs too, is knowledgeable and wants to help, is so awesome. It allowed me to have epiphanies that continue to shift how I see my dogs, other people and myself! This is such a great thing to do for yourself.”

    Alison H.

  • “Katya is intuitive and walks a fine line between the human and animal worlds. She speaks their language and ours, and helps us figure out the best ways for us to grow and thrive. Through her boundless enthusiasm, endless compassion, and enduring patience, Katya has helped us curate an environment for a more harmonious existence.”

    - Stan & Jean