Date:  Tuesday October 15th, 2024

Location: A Pleasant Dog

Time: 7:00pm EST (6:30pm registration/dinner)

Topic: Separation Anxiety 

Please join us in welcoming Jenn Gavin, owner of A Pleasant Dog and Dr. Jill Sackman, owner of Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan in a joint discussion and presentation on separation anxiety, something we see as veterinarians on a daily basis.  They will offer tips and tricks on how to assess and work with these patients and help to guide us in what we can do as general practitioners and when we need to work in conjunction with a training facility/behaviorist. 

Note: This event is limited to the first 50 registrants. Veterinarians and Technicians are welcome to attend.

Here are the quick details:

• Venue: A Pleasant Dog, 1430 Knapp St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505

• This meeting is open to member veterinarians and technicians at this time, limit of 50 with a waitlist thereafter.

About our speakers:

Jenn Gavin, CPDT-KA, FPPE is the owner and founding trainer at A Pleasant Dog. She has been rescuing and training dogs for over twenty-five years. For the last ten years, Jenn has focused her practice on anxious and aggressive animals, and  works extensively with veterinarians and veterinary behaviorists. Jenn has conducted research in animal behavior, and that research has been selected for presentation at the Veterinary Behavior Symposium and she is a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator!


Jill Sackman, DVM is the owner of Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan, PLC where she practices an approach to behavioral medicine that combines learning theory, skilled medical training, and experience along with compassion and effective communication to create an integrated treatment plan that is tailored to the individual patient’s needs.

• Dr. Sackman  is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Fascinated by cognition and behavior in all species, Dr. Sackman focuses on the human-animal bond as well as ways veterinarians can continuously improve the quality of life of their patients. Particularly interested in early detection and treatment of canine aggression, she works with pets families to help them build strong early relationships with their pets including basic life skills, socialization, and home enrichment.
• Dr. Sackman is also a board-certified veterinary surgeon, and she has worked side-by-side with human surgeons.