Faculty Profiles

Claire Kilburn

Education & Credentials:

• Atlas Assistance Dogs - Certified Trainer (Atlas CT), 2022
• Karen Pryor Academy - Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), 2021
• Concordia University - B.Sc. Psychology, 2020
• Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers - CPDT-KA, 2019

Began teaching at MHC: 2024

Claire is an instructor in the Service Dog & Canine Studies Management diploma program, teaching remotely from Toronto, ON. As the owner and lead instructor of Alliance Service Dogs, her work supports individuals with disabilities training their own service dogs. She brings to the classroom her experience working directly with dogs and handlers, and of running a successful small business in the service dog industry.

While Claire teaches remotely, she strives to keep online learning engaging through creative projects and skill-building relevant to real world work experiences. She values an encouraging classroom environment and focuses discussion around community-building, equity, and curiosity for others' lived experiences.

In her own time, Claire can be found training her Border Collie, Venn, in dog sports, or out around Toronto with her own service dog, Birdie the Labrador Retriever.