Yhakira Gray

I grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, with my childhood pets of a black male Chow Chow and a female Yorkie. Since a young age, I have wanted to learn and understand animal behavior. I wanted to explore why dogs performed certain behaviors and what triggered them. I have consistently been a huge advocate for the welfare of animals and wanted to play a big role in helping others understand the importance of animal welfare. My focus on animal behavior and welfare is more specifically on companion animals, where I strive to help people, not just pet owners, understand the importance of certain behaviors that the animal displays. With this goal in mind, I earned my Bachelor of Sciences in Animal and Poultry Sciences completing a minor in Psychology. As an undergraduate student, I have taken many companion animal, specifically dog, training classes. From these classes, I have learned how to read dog body language, vocalizations, and the best way for an animal to learn. I use this knowledge that I gain and apply it to my interactions with animals, and the pet owners around me and to educate others who may misunderstand or have a fear of animals.

Currently, I am a Master's student in the Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare program at Virginia Tech under Dr. Erica Feuerbacher. I am currently researching the behavioral effects of training cats and kittens to take stroller rides in a project called “Cats in the Bag – Exploration into Cat Strollers.” In the future, I plan to perform and publish research that will allow the general public to be slow to stereotype dogs and cats that have behavioral issues. My goal is to work with shelters that have dogs that have behavioral issues to allow them a higher chance of being adopted. I would love to create behavior training programs or protocols that shelters can use to help the animals in their care. I also have an interest in the behavior and welfare of working dogs and ways to maintain/improve their welfare.