If a gynecologist rapes someone, they lose their license.
If a teacher abuses a child, they’re never allowed near kids again.
But if someone abuses animals—they can go right back to calling themselves a “dog trainer.”
Let that sink in.
In most states, there’s no license required to be a dog trainer. No oversight. No governing board.
Anyone can call themselves a trainer. That includes people with a documented history of animal abuse.
Someone could be convicted of cruelty, serve a sentence, and then return to training dogs like nothing ever happened.
Where’s the justice in that?
Animals feel pain. They feel fear. And they remember trauma.
But we don’t treat them like we do humans. The laws don’t protect them the same way.
We hold teachers, doctors, and caregivers to high standards. But when it comes to those who work with animals, it’s a free-for-all.
As much as my Dutch Shepherd would love to do fieldwork as a police dog, he came to some drastic discoveries as a detective behind the desk.
Through years of training and observation, what he uncovered became undeniable:
Animals are not as protected as they need to be.
And that hit me deep.
These creatures who protect us, love us, heal us, and trust us completely… are left defenseless by the very systems meant to care for them.
It reminded me of something bigger.
We’re not just pet owners.
We’re stewards of this Earth.
We have a responsibility to speak up for the voiceless and defend those who can’t fight back.
This isn’t about cancel culture.
It’s about common sense.
If you abuse animals, you should never be allowed to work with them again.
That’s why I stand by the phrase:
Nā Kia‘i Holoholona – The Guardians of the Animals.
Let’s raise the standards.
Let’s protect the pack.
If we’re going to call ourselves a civilized society, it’s time we start acting like true pack leaders.
