Calgary Humane Society charges dog trainer over incident caught on video

The Calgary Humane Society has charged a local dog trainer in connection with an incident last year, alleging a dog was being mistreated.

The agency says it received a complaint about Mia Hodal, a trainer with local dog day care centre Dogs Tail, in December 2022.

Following an investigation into a video shared on Facebook, the humane society says it charged Hodal in April with causing or allowing an animal to be in distress.

The video, which appears to be from a security camera, shows a woman leading a dog around in a large room with a leash attached to a collar on its neck. The woman can then be seen straddling the dog, forcing it to lay down.

The woman remains on top of the dog for more than a minute before she gets up and appears to reach toward its face while another individual sits nearby.

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"The yanking on the collar on the neck, the sitting on the dog – inappropriate, not in line with any training," said Brad Nichols, director of operations and enforcement with the Calgary Humane Society.

"(It) would cause pain to the dog."

Jon Hodal, president of Dogs Tail, said in a statement to CTV News on Dec. 14 that the video doesn't show animal abuse – it illustrates "an urgent situation" involving a dog.

"A dog in our care had accidentally torn apart a piece of its collar and was in the process of ingesting it, which would have been dangerous," he wrote.

"We want to assure you that thanks to the quick response of our staff and team members, the dog was safe. A veterinarian examined the dog shortly after confirming it was unharmed and healthy. In fact, the dog returned to the facility the next day commencing her usual activities."

Furthermore, Hodal said the video posted online was doctored by "a former disgruntled employee."

"While we understand that the video may appear concerning, please know it does not show the full scope of the incident, nor the care and attention immediately provided before or afterwards to the dog."

He did not offer any comment about the charges against the dog trainer in his statement but pointed out that she has extensive training and certification.

"Our trainer – my daughter - has very extensive dog training including 24 certifications and courses from well regarded institutions including a one-year program and one year internship from Animal Behavior College (ABC) based in California, and Dog Training Fundamentals through the Karen Pryor Academy (PTA) which represents the standard of excellence in dog training, and equine-assisted learning - human therapy on animals -from Olds College."

Mia Hodal is scheduled to appear in court in March 2024.