Testimonials & Media

As the General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Animal Services for the past 6 years, I can categorically recommend Robert Cabral as the best trainer of shelter animals I’ve had the privilege to work with.  Robert has worked with LA Animal Services over the past ten years and has received enthusiastic endorsements from my predecessors.

Robert has demonstrated for over a decade that he has both the understanding and ability to transform the way shelters work with behaviorally challenging dogs.  I’ve personally witnessed the transformation that Robert has been able to make with some otherwise difficult dogs…

Brenda Barnette
General Manager LA Animal Services

Thanks to the trainings I acquired by attending your three day course, our agency has since implemented policies that allow for canine playgroups. For nearly a year now we have seen many of the benefits of these practices (both with staff and animals in our care). MACC has noticed a reduction of the stress levels in dogs. This has produced a decrease in a lot of the common illnesses found in shelter animals.

Thank you for the common sense compassion that Bound Angels University emphasizes and your mission to help shelters save more lives.

JD White
Kennel Manager – Metro Animal Care & Control Nashville

Robert’s compassion for animals, his assistance and patience with me, helped transition a municipal kill shelter into the new age of sheltering with its ideals and focus on saving more lives.. I thank my friend, Robert, for assisting in our transition to No-Kill.

Donna Gillesby
Deputy Director Ventura County Animal Services

Robert Cabral is an extraordinary individual who “walks the talk” of helping the dogs in shelters. Robert relates well to the staff and volunteers as he walks them through the instructions he provides on how to handle the dogs better and to increase desired behaviors and decrease the undesirable ones. The dogs showed marked improvement within minutes of working with Robert. We all took away so many dog training and handling techniques from this workshop.

Christine Bauersfeld
CVT, Executive Director Brightside Animal Center

Robert’s compassion and dedication radiates through his keen ability to understand canine behavior. This in turn has helped the well-being of many dogs during their stay with us at the shelter. The training techniques that we are now utilizing have proven to be invaluable as they have prepared our dogs for “home life” and by virtue, has increased our adoption and retention rates.

Shayda Ahkami
DVM, Director Palm Springs Animal Shelter

Kennel staff and management found the “dog specific training to be eye opening, and realized that none of these dogs are un-trainable. To see each of the dogs from SPARC that you used as demonstrations respond so well and quickly reminds each of us that we can accomplish what other facilities think is impossible.

Lucy Mrvichin
Shelter Manager Santa Paula Rescue Center

Our rescuers were especially amazed at not only hearing you speak but watching you put words into action during the demonstration you did with some of our more aggressive dogs. It was truly fascinating to see how quickly change can happen…

Meg Heigl
The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation

Robert is an animal behaviorist extraordinaire. His approach is very different from conventional trainers in that he is able to pinpoint a dog’s core issues directly and solve them. He rescues and rehabilitates animals with difficult behavioral problems from municipal animal shelters; skillfully and compassionately transforming them into loving companions…

Ed Boks
Los Angeles Animal Services, NYC Animal Care, Maricopa County Animal Care

We commend Robert Cabral, Bound Angels for his exemplary approach toward helping LA Animal Services… Robert’s extraordinary expertise is uniquely found in his ability to turn “un-adoptable” pets into adoptable pets. He works on our tough cases with amazing rehabilitation techniques… Their transformation under his compassionate direction is truly remarkable.

Kathy Davis
Interim General Manager LA Animal Services

Robert has a unique understanding of dogs and the ability to translate and teach that knowledge. We at k9 connection are very proud of his partnership and value his many skills. Our students and dogs are indebted to him for his life saving interventions with our program.

Katherine Beattie
k9 Connection Co-Founder

The employees were very excited about the ideas you talked about, some of which they’ve spontaneously put into practice. What really sealed it for my staff was when you “walked the talk” and was able to show that you knew how to handle difficult animals. They were definitely impressed and want to work with you some more on improving their skills in that direction.

Monica Nolan
Director Ventura County Animal Services

Your techniques speak for themselves… The staff is more comfortable and secure with their dog handling skills. It has been a 100% positive experience. The training has lessened the number of dog bites with the staff and volunteers, reducing workman’s comp exposure and helping protect our agency.

Robin Hennessey
Director of Operations, Yavapai Humane Society

 

I loved reading Selling Used Dogs – Every Executive Director should have this book on their desk; not a day goes by when I’m not thumbing through it for ideas to help find forever homes for our temporary residents.

I want to take a few minutes to express appreciation on behalf of Los Angeles City shelter dogs for your expert training at all six City shelters…

In my 4 1/2 years at LAAS, I have never seen the staff, volunteers and public so engaged about any shelter activity…

Robert we are grateful for your support over the years …

Thank you very much for your help.  I employ the same training methods at the Putnam Humane Society and I’m happy to say that our adoptions have increased dramatically.

Stu Fischer
Putnam Humane Society
Carmel, NY

Robert taught staff and volunteers about his programs and how to identify rehabilitatable dogs that previously would have been euthanized.  With Robert’s expertise and guidance, we were able to get an actual assessment in a shelter setting and begin rehabilitation on these dogs saving more lives.

Robert’s compassion for animals, his assistance and patience with me, helped transition a municipal kill shelter into the new age of sheltering with it’s ideals and focus on saving more lives.  We are making lifesaving unprecedented strides in Ventura County and I thank my friend, Robert, for assisting in our transition to No-Kill.

Well done Robert, I am using your B.A.R.C. test over here in the UK at a local rescue charity. It really helps get to the personality of the dogs without being judgmental.

The Bringing Home Your New Dog handout is an invaluable piece to support pet retention, humane education – hitting all the high spots you are so good at doing –

The handouts have been very well received. The information is great and our adopters are very appreciative. Thank you.

These adoption handouts are wonderful.  People love them, and for such a small publication, they have SO much helpful info.

These handouts are the best I’ve seen and we are using them at our training events – great resource for people to read over and refer to after they’ve come to a class.

We have had great feedback from Bringing Home Your New Dog !!  Not only have the new dog owners found them useful, but our staff has learned a thing or two.

I’ve worked with many trainers over the past 30 years, from the famous to the ridiculous.  Robert is the real deal.  His methods transform unruly even dangerous shelter dogs into responsive companion animals.  For shelters looking for alternatives to killing dogs for behavioral reasons, I recommend Robert Cabral.

I wanted to let you know how important your book was to us and to our rescue.  We were lucky enough to receive your information before we did our very first adoption event.  For that, I will always be grateful.

You offered us a step by step plan for success, an “out of the box” path for successful adoptions.  We all know that shelters are filled with VERY adoptable dogs, you give us road map for helping as many of those great dogs have a second chance at life–through successful adoptions.

Thank you Robert for your work, your enthusiasm, and your support!

Your book has given us insight on what is “outside the box” that can be used to bridge the communication gap between dog and man, and its simple and has been there all along, it took you to bring it to the fore front, I forward all your writings to people having adopted my dogs and to rescue groups and recommend all your and training techniques. Nathan Winograd move over!!!

In Selling Used Dogs Robert Cabral reveals what it takes to bring out the best in dogs. Every shelter director should put into practice this easy-to-follow road map.

Cabral’s book takes a friendly but no-nonsense look at what people can do to impact euthanasia rates, taking on topics ranging from which animals rescuers should focus on to save more lives to how rescues can build better relationships with shelters.  It’s sensible, direct, and compassionate about both the animals and the people working to help them.

The employees were very excited about the ideas you talked about, some of which they’ve spontaneously put into practice.  What really sealed it for my staff was when you “walked the talk” and was able to show that you knew how to handle difficult animals.  They were definitely impressed and want to work with you some more on improving their skills in that direction.

This book really nails down what a shelter needs to do to get dogs adopted – it was full of great ideas!

I haven’t actually read the book yet, and for good reason.
When my Animal Care Manager saw it on my desk she snatched it up to read for herself.  It is in the process of getting passed around by staff who are all very excited about the ideas.
Rather than take it back and read it myself, I have just encouraged the staff to read it and present the ideas they are most excited about for implementation.

That process is moving along.  Thank you for all your work with shelters and for animals.

I like how it’s not just another “dog training book” it’s geared toward the dogs who are in need of our help the most.  It’s clear and concise.

Desperate Dogs Determined Measures lays down specific techniques that I believe will get even some of our most difficult dogs adopted more easily.  Your expertise in dog behavior and training was helpful throughout the book and has something for everyone…..   It will be very easy to pull information out of your book and in-service the staff on some basic techniques that will be very easy to integrate….  By implementing your concepts, I feel that shelters can really make a difference and save more lives.

I am currently a volunteer trainer for high risk dogs at Spokanimal C.A.R.E. animal shelter in Spokane, WA and I want to thank you for taking the time to write “Desperate Dogs”. This book needed to be written and I can only hope that shelters across the U.S. will make this required reading for ALL employees and volunteers. You have brought to forefront the most important message…that we are doing what we do to save lives. I hope by using your principals and guidelines I can continue saving lives one dog at a time.
Again, thank you so much.

New to  municipal sheltering, I was elated and relieved to read Robert Cabral’s book, Desperate Dogs, Determined Measures.  Unlike much of the conventional training literature I have read, this piece truly touches on the challenges of open shelters and offers simple and sound recommendations that I believe will save more lives. The vast majority of shelter dogs are viable if we let them be. Each dog is unique and our approach in saving them must be as well.

Every shelter manager, behaviorist and trainer worth their salt should have ‘Desperate Dogs; Determined Measures’ on their desk as a reference and a reminder that no dog is without hope!

In any shelter environment, there are always dogs who could and would make  terrific pets if only shelter staff had a way to modify their behavior.  Robert Cabral offers his years of experience in an easy to understand format for successful methods of dealing with “Desperate Dogs.”  For many of these desperate dogs, the shelter is their last hope and having alternate positive training methods is a gift to shelter staff who are committed to adoption placement options.

Many dogs are abandoned to animal shelters because of behavioral problems. Testing confirms the problem but does little to fix it.  All too often the dog loses again.

Robert Cabral’s unique book is like a breath of fresh air in offering practical shelter solutions to identify underlying problems such as fear or aggressive behaviors. He offers practical advice on how to properly evaluate and correct them especially in a stressful  kennel environment. It is a “must read” guide for animal welfare workers on how to give these often misunderstood dogs a viable chance for  a forever loving home.

In my 50 years of animal welfare work , I have never read a more useful “ bible” for all of us who want to give more dogs a second chance.

Robert is an animal behaviorist extraordinaire.  His approach is very different from conventional trainers in that he is able to pinpoint a dog’s core issues directly and solve them.  He rescues and rehabilitates animals with difficult behavioral problems from municipal animal shelters; skillfully and compassionately transforming them into loving companions…

We commend Robert Cabral, Bound Angels for his exemplary approach toward helping LA Animal Services…  Robert’s extraordinary expertise is uniquely found in his ability to turn “unadoptable” pets into adoptable pets.  He works on our tough cases with amazing rehabilitation techniques…  Their transformation under his compassionate direction is truly remarkable.

Robert has a unique understanding of dogs and the ability to translate and teach that knowledge.  We at k9 connection are very proud of his partnership and value his many skills.  Our students and dogs are indebted to him for his life saving interventions with our program.

Your techniques speak for themselves… The staff is more comfortable and secure with their dog handling skills.  It has been a 100% positive experience.  The training has lessened the number of dog bites with the staff and volunteers, reducing workman’s comp exposure and helping protect our agency.