Kimberly Artley

10/27/2025

“She’s so beautiful — why hasn’t Ava found a home yet?”

It’s a fair question.

And the short answer is: because Ava needs more than love.

Most people who inquire about Ava already have other animals at home.

But Ava isn’t at a place where she can easily integrate into a multi-pet environment — and that’s okay.

There are some dogs who simply do better as only dogs.

It doesn’t mean they’re broken or flawed.

It means they’re individuals — just like us.

We have to stop dog shaming when they don’t meet human ideals.

Dogs aren’t here to fulfill our version of perfect.

They’re here to teach us about relationship, responsibility, and unconditional acceptance — about what it means to use our voice, own our space, create and maintain healthy boundaries,
become accountable for the energy we bring into each space,
and to practice patience, compassion, and alignment.

They remind us that love isn’t just affection — it’s awareness, consistency, and leadership in action.

We’re not placing Ava based on someone’s appreciation for her looks.

We’re placing her based on fit — lifestyle, leadership, and level of emotional and energetic investment.

She needs someone willing to meet her where she is — not where they wish she was.

Someone who will lead her with consistency and care.

I’m doing my damnedest to set her up for that person —
the one who won’t just love her, but will know her.

The one who won’t be intimidated by her strength, but will honor it.

The one who can give her what every dog deserves: safety, structure, and the chance to finally exhale.

Ava needs more than a roof over her head.

More than a yard to enjoy.

Most dogs do.

Ava needs focused attention and work.

Her nervous system has been rewired by trauma, and we need to help her undo the impact that trauma has had on her.

She needs the chance to heal her perceptions and filters —
to learn how to pause, process, and make better choices
instead of constantly bracing and reacting to every perception, accurate or not.

When dogs spend long periods in survival mode, their nervous systems adapt to chaos — not calm.

That becomes their “normal.”

Ava learned that the world is unpredictable, that people leave, and that she has to lead and protect herself.

It’s not her fault.

She didn’t learn life skills from her human — she learned instability, inconsistency, and heartbreak.

So now, we have to teach her what safety feels like again.

What trust looks like.

How to live from peace instead of protection.

I’m a professional trainer and behavior specialist — and I get asked often:

“Why can’t you rehabilitate her yourself?”

The truth is simple: I’m not in a place where I can operate as I once did.

Back in D.C., I conducted board and trains out of my own home.

It was just my dogs and me, and I owned it — it was mine.

This isn’t my home.

And Ava needs a stable, structured environment with the time, space, and focus she deserves.

That’s what this board and train will give her — a chance to truly reset and rebuild.

Her GoFundMe is up to $1,196 so far, and I’m beyond grateful to every single person who’s donated, shared, and cheered her on from afar.

Ava has been through so much — and she’s so incredibly deserving of her chance at the good life.

This has been such a long, challenging, and completely exhausting journey.

Please keep supporting her if you can.

She needs it now more than ever.

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/0f40536c6

100% of the profits of "The Human End of the Leash: Dog Training’s Missing Link" are going toward Ava’s board and train.

It's a human self-help book... for dogs.

Signed + personalized copies (with custom bookmark + highlighter): https://kimberlyartley.com/books-and-ebooks

Amazon: https://a.co/d/7gXouI6

10/26/2025

Update: A Ray of Hope for Ava

Okay, you all — I just had an incredibly uplifting conversation with a dog training entity here that I truly believe can help Ava. They’re relatively new, but they know their stuff (I’ve watched several of their videos) — and their pricing is both fair and compassionate.

Here’s what we’re looking at:

$825 per week
4 weeks: $3,300
5 weeks: $4,125
6 weeks: $4,950

We’re planning to bring Ava in for an assessment within the next couple of weeks, and hopefully she’ll be able to slide into their program as soon as humanly possible.

I’ll share all the details once everything is confirmed, but if we can somehow raise between $3,300 and $4,950 to cover this, it would be an absolute Godsend and lifeline for Ava.

Every share, every donation, every ounce of support brings her one step closer to the stability, safety, and structure she so deeply needs and deserves.

Thank you — truly — for continuing to believe in her, and for helping me fight for her chance at the life she was meant to have.

Please keep sharing her story — we’ve all come such a long way together on this journey for a dog who is so deeply deserving of a real chance.

Link: https://gofund.me/0f40536c6

10/26/2025

When we rescued Ava and her babies from the SoCal desert, we saved them from death.

Now, we need to save Ava from the impact trauma has had on her.

Trauma isn’t the event itself.

It’s what happens inside of us as a result of what happened —
the disruption, the imprint, the way it reshapes how we see the world, others, and ourselves.

As two social species of animal — human and dog — we are both hardwired for connection.

But trauma rewires us for disconnection and protection.

It changes our behaviors, our perceptions, and the way we move through the world.

Ava has been living in survival mode for a long time — constantly braced, constantly on guard.

When she was here, she could finally relax.

Decompress.

She knew I had her back — and my full support.

I worked to meet her needs each day and co-parented with her in raising her babies.

Over time, she was able to return to a more balanced state —
though it was clear she’d missed out on essential life skills that were never taught to her earlier on.

As trauma and experience have taught her, outside the safety of the home Ava’s nervous system kicks into overdrive.

Her body braces for impact.

She scans the environment, assessing for potential threats, ready to defend if she must.

She met a potential foster family yesterday — and they loved her.

We’ve got to help her nervous system return to a more regulated state — to rehabilitate her perceptions so she can feel safe in the world again, and increase her chances of finding the right home.

She doesn’t need just any home — she needs the RIGHT one.

And before that can happen, she needs time, space, and expert guidance to help her decompress, re-regulate, and rebuild her trust in the world.

She needs professional help and focused attention in the areas she’s struggling most.

Given my current circumstances and limitations, I’m not able to provide that for her right now —so I’m doing everything I can to make sure she gets it.

That’s where you come in.

Every dog is an individual — a unique mixture of drives, sensitivities, and energy.

Ava’s blend is strong: confident, assertive, determined — a dog with presence, not for the faint of heart.

She’s also a working, herding breed mix living in the unemployment line.

And beneath all that strength lives a deep softness — a love and loyalty toward humans, despite being dumped and left for dead — while pregnant — in the middle of the SoCal desert.

What she endured before we met left its mark.

Living in survival mode means living braced — waiting for the next shoe to drop, always scanning for safety or threat, ready to spring into action at any moment.

It’s an exhausting way to live — and when trauma imprints on the nervous system, it becomes the new normal.

When dogs live with people who don’t understand who they are — as individuals, let alone as dogs — this is also trauma.

When they’re dumped, abandoned, or left to fend for themselves, this is trauma.

When they’re placed in environments that don’t speak to their needs, this too is trauma.

Ava needs help.

Now.

A 4–6 week board and train with the right professional isn’t a luxury — it’s her lifeline.

It’s what will give her the chance to decompress, re-regulate, and fill in the gaps in understanding that no one ever taught her.

Because dogs don’t come to us pre-programmed.

It’s up to us — the humans — to teach them what we expect them to know and understand.

Training and teaching our dogs isn’t just a personal responsibility.
It’s a public and social responsibility.

And I cannot emphasize this enough.

When we raise balanced, regulated dogs, we make the world safer — for them, for us, and for everyone they encounter.

We saved Ava once from the desert.

Now it’s time to save her again — this time from the patterns that trauma built around and within her, and from what she should’ve received from her human from the start.

Because love alone isn’t enough.

Structure, understanding, and follow-through are love in action.

It’s not enough to save a dog from certain death.

It’s about providing what they need to thrive in the world they’re expected to coexist in.

Although Ava loves people deeply, her path forward requires more than affection — it requires intention.

And this is what I’m working so hard to give her now.

I’ve started another GoFundMe for Ava — not for her rescue this time, but for her recovery.

Every dollar raised goes directly toward getting Ava into a 4–6 week board and train program with a trusted, qualified professional who can give her the environment, structure, and guidance she needs to truly heal and rebuild.

Together, we can give her the chance to live — not just survive.

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/0f40536c6

100% of my book’s profits are going toward this effort, as well.

"The Human End of the Leash: Dog Training’s Missing Link"

Signed + personalized copies (with custom bookmark + highlighter): kimberlyartley.com

Amazon: https://a.co/d/7gXouI6

Please, please help me help Ava.

10/25/2025

Help Ava Get the Reset She Desperately Needs

Many of you know Ava’s story — the beautiful, intelligent, high-drive Heeler mix I rescued from the desert after she was dumped, pregnant, and alone. She gave birth under a metal trash bin and fought to keep her babies alive until help arrived.

I brought Ava and her pups into safety and cared for them around the clock. Every one of her babies found loving homes… and Ava made remarkable progress, too. She blossomed into the loyal, intuitive, deeply connected dog I always knew she could be.

But the last several months have been hard.

Very hard.

Her current environment hasn’t been right for her needs — especially her nervous system — and the stress has caused her to regress into survival mode. She’s frustrated, reactive, and emotionally exhausted. She needs stability, structure, and patient, attuned guidance to come back into balance.

This is where we need your help.

I’ve spent the last few weeks reaching out to various colleagues and fellow trainers for recommendations and quotes, which range from $4,500 to $7,500 for a 4–6 week board and train.

This time will give Ava the decompression, structure, and focused attention she needs for a full nervous system reset — and it will also buy me a little time to prepare for her return and next chapter.

I’ve poured everything I have into saving Ava once already — but the truth is, I couldn’t do it alone then, and I can’t do it alone now.

These kinds of efforts — the real, responsible ones — really do take a village.

They take time, resources, skill, heart, and community.

If you believe in root-cause, whole-dog understanding rescue — the kind that honors the emotional, mental, and environmental layers beneath behavior — please consider donating or sharing her story. Every bit of support helps carry us forward.

Ava is truly one of those once-in-a-lifetime dogs — she challenges in ways that teach, expand, and empower.

She reminds me so much of my Lobo — only now, I know exactly who she is, what she needs, and what needs to be done. She’s fiercely loyal, deeply intuitive, and worth every ounce of effort.

I’m committed to seeing her through this next chapter and giving her the chance she deserves —
but we both still need help.

With heartfelt gratitude,

K.

[email protected]
www.KimberlyArtley.com

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/0f40536c6

Help Ava Get the Behavioral Support and Safe Haven She Deserves I… Kimberly Artley needs your support for Give Ava a Safe Haven and Behavioral Support

10/25/2025

I didn’t write this book because it was easy.

I wrote it because it was absolutely necessary.

For years, I watched good dogs fail —
not because they were “bad,”
but because no one was speaking to one of the most influential
and important ingredients in dog training and behavior:
the human(s) responsible for raising the dog.

Their end of the leash.

So much of what we’ve been taught about “dog training”
focuses on cues, food, and control.

But behavior isn’t the problem — it’s the invitation.
It’s communication.
It’s feedback.
It’s information.

"The Human End of the Leash: Dog Training’s Missing Link"
was born from heartbreak, hope,
and a lifetime of working in the trenches of
rescue, dog training, behavioral rehabilitation, and human transformation.

It was born from dogs like Lobo, whose story started it all and changed the trajectory of my work… and my life.

From Ava, whose resilience continues to teach me about trauma, survival, our beautifully wise nervous system, and trust.

And from every human who’s ever whispered,
“I’ve tried everything — and nothing’s working" (and I've met and worked with many).

It’s about all the ingredients that go unchecked and unaddressed
in typical “dog training” programs —
the things that truly shape behavior.

The things that matter most.

Seeing it out in the world —
now with eight ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews —
and hearing how it’s changing homes, hearts, and relationships…
it’s inspiring.

Because this isn’t just about training.
It’s about opening.
Releasing.
Learning and relearning.
Expanding.
Leaning into curiosity instead of judgment.
And transformation.

For both ends of the leash.

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"The Human End of the Leash: Dog Training’s Missing Link"
By Kimberly Artley

Available now on Amazon (+ coming soon to other stores!):
https://a.co/d/8MTXHDF

Signed + personalized copies (with custom bookmark + highlighter):
https://kimberlyartley.com/books-and-ebooks

10/23/2025

Dear Fellow Trainers and Colleagues:

I’m urgently looking for a behaviorally fluent trainer who takes a root-cause approach — no quadrant isolation — someone who will work with the (amazing) dog in front of them.

This is for a 4–6 week behavioral board and train for Ava.

We’re in Southern California, but I’m open to travel for the right fit.

Please DM or email: [email protected]

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The reason I’m seeking help is that I’m not able to operate as I once did where I’m currently located.

Ava needs a skilled, patient, behaviorally fluent, and safe space to go — and she needs to get out of her current environment immediately.

I need about 4–6 weeks to get this move figured out (I’ve not been able to find the appropriate home for Ava, and the only solution is to move so I can bring her back into my care) and properly transition things on my end.

Right now, I’m not in a position to do either — and I desperately need help so I can save her life (again).

Ava is a lot of dog — powerful, high-drive, and incredibly intuitive.
Inside the home, she’s sweet, affectionate, and beautifully tuned in.

Outside, she checks out — hypervigilant and scanning for threats. Typical trauma-influenced behavior.

I believe in Ava.

I believe in her potential.

She’s one of the most incredible dogs I’ve ever known — and I don’t say that lightly. We just desperately need help right now.
Behavior is never one-size-fits-all. Genetics, early experience, trauma, and environment all shape how a dog sees and moves through the world. I’m looking for someone skilled, equipped, and experienced — who can truly make a difference.

After decades in this work, I’ve seen too many trainers take on cases beyond their depth — often well-intentioned, but not always in the dog’s best interest. I fell victim to that myself many moons ago, cycling through six or seven trainers — and I never found the right guidance. My dog paid the ultimate price for it.
My Lobo. One of my greatest teachers. (https://kimberlyartley.com/lobos-story)

As have countless clients who’ve come to work with me over the years — carrying the fallout of poor guidance, mismatched methods, and missed understanding.

Side note: there's no shame in referring out or knowing your limits. Sadly, money and ego still drive too many decisions — and the dogs, and the people who love them, pay the price.

If you or someone you know can help, please, please reach out.
Ava has a wonderful, devoted community of supporters who’ve been pulling for her from the very beginning. I have no doubt your work with her would be celebrated — and come back to you in the most positive way.

This one really, really matters — and it’s URGENT.

With sincere gratitude,

Kimberly A.

GoFundMe for Ava's Board and Train: https://gofund.me/19bfde6cc

10/22/2025

I’ve been able to watch the Nature vs. Nurture debate play out in real time — through Ava, and through raising her puppies.

It’s remarkable how much of who they are was written into them from the very beginning — their instincts, energy, drives, sensitivities, even their communication styles. That’s Nature.

But I’ve also seen how profoundly environment shapes the expression of all of that. Structure, safety, boundaries, routine, leadership, and emotional congruence — these are what either nurture stability or amplify stress. Environment doesn’t just shape behavior; it impacts the nervous system. That’s Nurture.

The nervous system’s job is simple: to keep us safe.

It’s constantly scanning for cues of safety or threat, deciding whether the body can rest and connect — or whether it needs to guard and defend.

When the environment feels unpredictable, inconsistent, or tense, the nervous system shifts into protection mode.

When it feels stable, supportive, and clear, it settles. Regulation becomes possible. Connection becomes possible.

This is the foundation of Chapter Eight: The Nervous System Doesn’t Lie.

Because our dogs’ bodies — just like ours — are always listening to the world around them.

They’re constantly asking, “Am I safe?”

Trauma disrupts that system.

It rewires it.

As two social species, dogs and humans are born hardwired for connection — but trauma rewires us for protection and disconnection.

Trauma isn’t the event itself, but what happens inside us as a result of it — the disruption, the rewiring, the way the nervous system internalizes what’s happened and begins to interpret the world through that lens.

The body learns that safety is no longer guaranteed, and behaviors form around survival and control.

We see it in people — anxiety, people-pleasing, withdrawal, perfectionism, addiction, control.

We see it in dogs — anxiety, appeasement, shutdown, reactivity, compulsions, aggression, control.

All of these are coping strategies built around the same question: “Am I safe?”

And every one of them is an attempt to create that safety and predictability — because predictability is safety.

Safety is the foundation.

Without it, connection can’t exist.

And when connection can’t exist, behavior becomes protection — not partnership.

We — the human end of the leash — are a huge part of that environment. Of Nurture.

I’ve seen how the tension and anxiety in our home through the rescue effort rippled through the dogs.

How my own anxiety — in my tireless efforts to make sure everyone is safe, cared for, and okay, doing it all without support (and not having support is deeply dysregulating) — shaped the emotional tone around us all.

Now, as I prepare to uproot my life once again and move across the country because I still haven’t found a suitable home for Ava, I can feel how every emotion, every uncertainty, every ounce of my own energy — the stress, the unanswered questions, the powerlessness, the heartbreak — is impacting them.

Dogs don’t just live in our homes. They live in our nervous systems.

Ava is another perfect example.

She came into this world with strong drives — prey, pack, and defense — which we cannot “remove,” but can absolutely channel and direct. Those drives helped her survive after being abandoned, pregnant, and alone in the SoCal desert.

Environment shaped everything that followed.

When she was with me, she regulated and returned to safety through structure, consistency, and care. She felt safe. She knew she could depend on me. We co-parented together. Her nervous system could rest because her needs — physical, emotional, and energetic — were being met.

But when she was placed in an environment beyond their capabilities — with people whose energy was much softer than hers — imbalance began. Her drives weren’t being spoken to. Her energy wasn’t being sufficiently depleted (and this is key). Her needs weren’t being met.

Just as we might run, lift, or punch a bag to release tension, dogs need outlets too — physical and emotional.

High-drive dogs carry even more when emotional energy piles on top of physical energy.

Without proper outlets, that unspent energy has to go somewhere — and it often surfaces as behavior.

So Ava became dysregulated again.

New behaviors emerged, and existing ones intensified — not because she’s “broken” or “bad,” but because her environment no longer supported her regulation.

Every ship needs a captain.

And in her current environment, no one is at the helm — so Ava is assuming it.

This is basic canine psychology: when dynamics become imbalanced and there’s no leadership, a dog will rise to fill the void.

Because leadership is safety.

They’re living in our world. It’s up to us to show them how.

That’s the power — and the responsibility — of Nurture.

Because while we can’t change genetics, we can absolutely influence environment.

And environment is everything.

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Chapter Eight: The Nervous System Doesn’t Lie

From The Human End of the Leash: Dog Training’s Missing Link
Amazon: https://a.co/d/7gXouI6

Signed & Personalized Copies (with custom bookmark + highlighter):
https://kimberlyartley.com/books-and-ebooks

To dive deeper:

Explore the "Training the Traumatized Dog" masterclass inside Dog Mom University.

You’ll learn how trauma rewires the canine nervous system — and how to help dogs heal, regulate, and thrive from the inside out.

dogmomuniversity.thinkific.com

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The GoFundMe has been reactivated to help with Ava — and this is urgent.

I’m working to cover relocation costs and secure a one-month board-and-train program to help her return to regulation and get her safely out of her current environment. Right now, this is the only viable option, as we haven’t been able to find an appropriate foster for her.

Ava’s life truly depends on getting her out as soon as possible.

Any amount of support — sharing, donating, spreading the word — makes a real difference.

Thank you for helping me keep my promise to her. 💛

https://gofund.me/3ef19a44

10/21/2025

🚨 URGENT: Ava Needs Immediate Placement While I Work On Moving — Her Life Depends On It 🚨

I’m making an URGENT plea for help.

Ava’s behavior is changing — and it’s the result of a clear, objective chain of cause and effect that I tried to prevent through education, support, and repeated offers of help. Now, I’m even uprooting my entire life — once again — to bring her back to safety… but I need more time to get all the pieces in place. And I'm quickly running out it.

I’m going to do my very best to stay objective and not emotional — though, I admit, this is very, VERY difficult.

BASELINE: Ava was dumped and abandoned in the desert, living in survival mode. After being rescued, she received structure, stability, leadership, guidance, full support, and emotional safety — and she moved out of survival mode and into a sense of safety and the kind of calm that comes from feeling fully supported.

SHIFT: In her current environment, chronic emotional instability, anxiety, fear, worry, inconsistency, lack of structure, absence of clear guidance, and unmet physical needs have steadily eroded that progress.

RESULT: Her nervous system has slipped back into survival mode. Behavior that once reflected safety and trust now reflects stress, dysregulation, and self-protection.

This is trauma, stress, and unmet needs made manifest.

With proper structure, guidance, proper and predictable handling, and consistent outlets for energy, Ava can and will stabilize again. But she needs a lifeline NOW.

What’s needed immediately:

- A safe, temporary placement (about 30 days) while I finalize a cross-country move to bring her back into my care.

- A home with no other animals (high prey drive).

- A calm, structured environment with consistent handling and daily routine.

- Someone willing to follow simple, clear guidelines to support her safety and help her nervous system reset and return to a baseline of safety.

I’m leaving my relationship, my home, and uprooting my entire life — again — to give Ava the future she deserves and that I promised her. But I desperately need help bridging this gap.

Location: Murrieta, CA

Contact: [email protected]

PLEASE — I can’t express how urgent this is. Even if you can’t foster, sharing this could save her life.

10/20/2025

Expectation is the #1 reason great dogs get returned — not because they’re broken, but because they didn’t meet someone’s idea of who they “should” be.

We say we want a dog — but more often, what we really want is an idea of a dog.

A dog we can take everywhere.

A dog who loves everyone.

A dog who fits seamlessly into the life we’ve built.

But what happens when the dog in front of us doesn’t match the picture in our mind?

Buckley (once Cowboy) is an introverted, deeply sensitive soul — a homebody who thrives on the small and familiar. He’s goofy, loving, and loyal, but he’s not built for bustling breweries, crowded events, or constant socializing. And no amount of training will make him someone he’s not.

His adopter recently shared a heartfelt message — full of love, heartbreak, and honesty. She’s given him structure, patience, and consistency. She even made the painful decision to leave a home she loves so he could have a safer, more supportive environment.

But still, she fears the space between who he is and the life she lives may be too wide to bridge.

And if that ends up being the case — if Buckley needs to come back to me — I’ll welcome him with open arms and make it all work. It’s the promise I made to this family, and to every person who’s adopted one of these dogs — and it’s a promise I’m keeping, which is why I’m preparing for the move to South Carolina. It’s no one’s fault. It just is what it is — a matter of what’s best for him, and what’s real for everyone involved.

Here’s the truth I wish more people understood when it comes to dogs:

We can build confidence.

We can build a sense of safety.

We can build comfort.

We can teach skills.

We can nurture trust.

We can create safety and build confidence.

But we cannot build a dog into someone they’re not.

We cannot change who a dog inherently is.

And if we try, we’ll be fighting a losing battle — with a great deal of stress and frustration in the process.

And when we do try — when we force them into roles that don’t fit or lives that don’t align — the result is often stress, disconnection, anxiety, and eventually, surrender.

Dogs aren’t blank slates for us to mold into whatever version suits us best.

They’re unique, complex beings with their own personalities, sensitivities, and needs — just like we are.

I see this play out again and again in human–canine relationships.
A dog’s true nature ends up colliding with a human’s expectations — and it’s in that collision that so much frustration, heartbreak, and surrender happens.

Not because the dog is “bad.” But because they’re being asked to be someone they’re not.

This is the space between:

Between expectation and reality.

Between what we pictured and what’s actually needed.

Between what we want and who they are.

And this is where so many dogs fall through the cracks — not because they’re broken, but because we struggle to reconcile the dog we imagined with the dog standing right in front of us.

Chapter Ten is a deeply important one.

It’s a call to pause, breathe, and re-examine our expectations.
To see dogs not as accessories to a lifestyle, but as individual beings with their own needs, sensitivities, and truths.

Because the magic doesn’t happen when we change them — it happens when we meet them where they are.

When we do that — when we truly see and honor the dog in front of us — everything changes.

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Paperback, Hardback, and Digital versions of the book:
https://a.co/d/4y3TMN7

Signed and Personalized Editions (with custom bookmark & highlighter):

https://kimberlyartley.com/books-and-ebooks

10/19/2025

There’s no easy way to say this — but I’ve made the difficult decision to leave California and will be relocating to South Carolina.

This isn’t a decision I’ve made lightly. It’s one that’s been heavy on my heart — shaped by many tears and countless sleepless nights. But ultimately, it’s guided by a promise — a vow I made to Ava and her babies the day I rescued them: that I would always do right by them, and that they would never be abandoned or without a home again.

In every adoption contract, I state clearly that if — at any point — any of these dogs can no longer be cared for by the people who adopted them, they are to be returned to me. This is me honoring that promise.

Ava’s current situation is not safe or sustainable, and I refuse to walk away from the responsibility I took on when I said “yes” to her. In order to do this — to bring her back into a safe, structured, and stable environment where she can truly thrive — I need to leave the place I’ve called home.

This chapter is bittersweet. There’s grief in it, yes, but also deep purpose and alignment.

Part of that bittersweetness is that Franklin will be staying with Steve — another very, very difficult decision I’ve had to make.
With Ava and her high prey drive entering the picture, this is the best and safest choice for everyone involved.

Ironically, Franklin’s story with me began much like Ava’s. He first came into my life for a board and train program due to severe aggression. When his family ultimately felt they couldn’t provide what he needed long-term, I offered to continue the work with him. The plan was to foster him until I found his perfect human.
Three years later, he did.

He and Steve are two peas in a pod. And Steve — a typical “man’s man, big dog” kind of guy — absolutely dotes on Frank. Frank follows him everywhere, and Steve just gushes over him. It’s actually pretty precious.

Frank has been with me through a lot of very, very tough moments these last five years — and some truly life-altering decisions. We’ve been through so much together. He was by my side for both of my cross-country road trips. He was with me as each member of my beloved Original Crew crossed over the Rainbow Bridge — Chip, then Todd, then Raiyna, then Levi — all within a devastating 23-month span. It was gut-wrenching. The hardest months and years of my life.

He was with me when COVID stole my business and livelihood right from under me. He was with me through my darkest hours and every attempt to rebuild. He was with me when I was forced to sell my beloved home of 12 years and leave the area I grew up in and loved — uprooting my life and moving across the country to California. He was with me as I tried to adjust here… and couldn’t.

He's been with me through the heartbreak of what I see here every day — the countless dogs dumped, discarded, flipped, and rehomed the second life changes. The ones who are constantly “going missing” or “getting lost.” The ones who escape again and again. The ones left outside all day, every day. The ones who end up as coyote meals. The general lack of responsibility and care I witness on a daily basis is crushing.

Frank (and Ronin) have been my constants through it all — my steadies, my grounding forces. And now that Frank is almost 13 years old, he deserves peace and stability with his fireman.

I will miss him more than words can ever say. He’s part of my heart and part of my crew, and life will feel very different without him by my side. The only reason he’s not coming with me is because I have no alternative for Ava. None.

There is a silver lining, though — something that’s been sitting on my Vision Board since 2016 is finally beginning to take shape. I’m not quite ready to share the details yet, but it’s something very, very special — weaving together dogs, humans, training, behavior, connection, experience, education, and healing. I can’t wait to share it with you and welcome you into what’s coming when the time is right.

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I’ve been searching for the right long-term solution for Ava for over 10 months now — ever since she came into my life last December.

I’m deeply grateful for the love and care she’s received over these past few months, but it’s become clear that the environment she’s in — while filled with good intentions — isn’t one that will allow her to truly thrive. And I am unwilling to enter her into the shelter system. She deserves more than that.

The truth is, after these last few years — and everything that’s unfolded — I’m simply not in a position to shoulder the financial weight of another dog and another cross-country move to bring her back into foster care with me.

That’s why I’ve reactivated her GoFundMe with hope: to ask for your help — so we can make this transition safely, responsibly, and successfully.

My willingness to uproot my life to save hers may not make sense to everyone. But it doesn’t have to. This is who I am. This is the promise I made when I took Ava and her babies in. The commitment I gave. And I keep my word — even if it’s to a dog.

The truth is, I’ve missed home.

And while I may not be heading back to Virginia just yet, this move feels like a necessary step toward that.

In a beautiful twist of synchronicity, dear friends and former clients have a home for rent in Columbia, South Carolina — and they’re opening it up to us. Their tenant had just moved out, and with everything aligning so suddenly, it feels like God has been hearing my tearful daily prayers — and that the universe is moving in ways I never could’ve orchestrated on my own.

With Ava and Winnie in tow, this road trip will look very different from the ones I’ve taken in the past with my original crew — Todd, Levi, Raiyna, and Franklin — who were all balanced, well-mannered, and made traveling feel peaceful and easy.

Different dogs bring different wiring, different needs, and different experiences — and this journey will reflect that in every way. I’ll need to do major pre-planning, mapping out Airbnb stays rather than off-highway motels to keep everyone safe, comfortable, and set up for success. I’m also hoping to find someone I know and trust to make the trip with me — and may have to fly them out if I can’t find anyone locally.

This won’t be an easy or inexpensive journey. The moving pod alone will be around $5,000, and with gas, a small U-Haul trailer, and 5–7 days of travel expenses, the costs add up quickly.

Flying Ava out is not the route I want to take, but if I can’t find someone to accompany me on the drive and help, it may be the only safe and realistic option — adding even more to an already complex relocation.

Sometimes, responsible rescue means laying it all on the line — your heart, your comfort, your stability, and your plans — to honor the promise you made and guide them back to safety and home.

And sometimes, dogs come into our lives unexpectedly… shaking everything up to point us in a new direction and set us on a different path. Just as Lobo did for me many years ago. (https://kimberlyartley.com/lobos-story)

Thank you — truly — to everyone who has supported this journey, offered kind words, and stood beside me through this deeply emotional chapter. Change is never easy — but, especially at certain points in life, it's necessary and part of a bigger plan. And sometimes, it’s in those very changes that the most beautiful stories begin.

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/3ef19a44