​​NOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker's personal business approach and understanding of animal behavior and training which currently lacks peer-reviewed scientific support and warrants further investigation. We've flagged this talk for falling outside TEDx's content guidelines. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfWhy are so many adolescent dogs abandoned, and what does that say about us as humans?In this deeply personal TEDx talk, Billie Groom invites us into her nearly 40-year journey in animal welfare. What began as a professional question led to a movement, one that challenges our long-held assumptions about behaviour, communication, and what it truly means to be sentient.Billie shares stories that are as sobering as they are hopeful. She asks us to reconsider the way we treat animals not as problems to be fixed, but as beings to be understood. Billie Groom is a Solutionist. Her unconventional career path spanning four decades led to the development of an innovation that positioned her as a leader in the animal welfare and canine behavior sectors. She is the author of an award-winning book and podcast. Billie is honored to have been featured in Psychology Today Magazine by Marc Bekoff, and the LA Tribune. She has appeared on Roku TV and CTV, has spoken at global conferences, summits, universities, and events, and has received many accolades and awards. She completed the PhD course on Cognition and Emotions to Improve Animal Welfare at the University of Sweden and is currently taking her PhD in Transformational Ecology at the University of Sedona.Billie’s tenacity, resilience, and determination to be impactful in a stagnant and stifled industry gained her the reputation of industry disrupter, a title she has grown to appreciate. Billie currently lives in Saskatchewan with her rescued dogs and a cat who moved in with them. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx