Kristen Collins, Vice President of the ASPCA® Behavioral Rehabilitation Center (BRC), oversees all BRC programs and operations. At the new BRC facility in Weaverville, N.C., Collins works with her staff to design and implement behavior modification treatments for behaviorally challenged dogs, as well as collaborative teaching programs to share the BRC’s work with partner shelters across the country.

Collins joined the ASPCA in 2007. Prior to her assignment at the BRC in 2013, Collins worked with victims of animal cruelty as part of the ASPCA’s Anti-Cruelty Behavior Team (ACBT), where she conducted specialized behavior evaluations for animals rescued from dogfighting, puppy mill and hoarding situations, collecting information to determine the best outcome, assist with shelter partner placement and provide supporting evidence for prosecution. Her expertise was utilized in numerous historic cases, including the largest dog fighting raid in U.S. history in 2009 as well as a dog fighting seizure in the Bronx, N.Y. in 2012. Also in 2012, Collins conducted behavior evaluations for more than 700 neglected cats removed from an overrun sanctuary in Florida. In 2010, Collins also played an integral role in the creation of the ASPCA’s first enrichment and behavior modification programs for animals held as evidence during ongoing cruelty cases. Additional activities include conducting animal behavior research, writing and editing articles on animal behavior, and speaking on animal behavior topics at professional and academic conferences. Collins has been interviewed and quoted by publications including Woman’s Day, Parade, Reuters, Natural Health, and the New York Post. She also taught an animal-behavior practicum at the University of Illinois and appeared as a guest lecturer for the University of Illinois Animal Sciences Department.

Before joining the ASPCA, Collins started her career as a private animal behavior counselor and group class instructor in 2000. In 2005, she joined the Richmond (Va.) SPCA’s Behavior and Education Department and was responsible for designing and implementing behavior modification and enrichment programs for shelter dogs. Her responsibilities also included teaching public obedience and agility classes and supervising advanced volunteer trainers. While in Richmond, Collins conducted seminars on shelter dog training for other local animal shelters, gave agility and clicker training demonstrations for the public, participated in humane education programs for local schools, and taught courses on canine learning and body language for the University of Richmond’s continuing education program.

Collins, an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (ACAAB), holds a master’s degree in applied animal behavior from the University of Illinois. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Georgia, where she graduated summa cum laude with honors. In 2005, she graduated valedictorian and with honors from the San Francisco SPCA’s Academy for Dog Trainers.

Collins shares her home in Mars Hill, N.C. with two dogs and a cat: Snack, a shy Shiba Inu, Toefu, a mystery mix from a Tennessee hoarding case whose extra toes and impressive underbite endow her with unique appeal, and Phryne, a fierce jungle panther trapped in the body of a small, black kitten.