Episode #114 – Sami Griffin: Beyond Performative

Effective Gender Inclusivity for Pet Professionals

May 12, 2025

TLDL (Too Long, Didn’t Listen):

✅ Mistakes are Normal – Nobody gets it right 100% of the time, and that’s okay. The key is how we respond: with openness, humility, and a willingness to keep learning.

✅ Behavior Principles Apply to People, Too – Just like teaching a dog to sit or helping a cat love their cat tree, changing our language and habits takes practice, reinforcement, and support.

✅ Take a Descriptive Approach – Instead of making assumptions—about pets or people— taking a descriptive, curiosity-centered approach will build trust, reduce harm, and create space for authenticity.

Episode Overview:

What does gender inclusivity have to do with pet behavior consulting? (Spoiler: everything.)

In this episode of Enrichment for the Real World, Emily Strong (she/they) chats with Sami Griffin (they/them), a cat and dog behavior consultant with a passion for creating safer, more inclusive spaces—for pets and their people. Sami helps us move beyond surface-level performative action into real, effective inclusivity that doesn’t just sound good, but does good.

From busting myths around sex and gender to sharing tangible ways to practice using pronouns and avoid assumptions, this conversation is packed with insight, empathy, and action. You’ll also hear how the same principles we use in behavior work—intentional practice, meeting learners’ needs, and using a descriptive approach—can help us grow as inclusive professionals.

Whether you’re already deep into this work or you’re just starting to explore how gender inclusivity fits into your role, this episode offers guidance, support, and that gentle-but-firm nudge to do better—for everyone’s benefit.

Meet Our Guest

Sami Griffin (they/them)

Sami (they/them) got a bachelor’s degree in music and gender studies (with a lot of philosophy). They worked as a veterinary assistant in veterinary emergency, in shelters in the foster and behavior departments, and with a Veterinary Behaviorist as a behavior therapist focused on behavior modification. Most of their experience is in working with cats and dogs with fear and anxiety, animal and/or human-directed aggression, separation-related behaviors, and compulsive behaviors. Amongst all things animal behavior, they are passionate about educating people on queerness and how all systems of oppression are interlocked. If they aren’t teaching people about the animals in their lives, they’re likely teaching people about queerness and LGBTQ inclusivity, playing indie video games, puzzling, or embroidering. Fun fact; Sami’s right arm is reserved for only cat tattoos. They currently have 5 from 4 artists.

Connect With Sami

Instagram: @wisewhiskerstraining

Website: https://www.wisewhiskerstraining.com

Links & Resources from the Episode

For a full transcript of this episode: Transcript in Arial | Transcript in OpenDyslexic

Why Emily and Sami said it’s so important to speak out: https://www.lemkininstitute.com/red-flag-alerts

Going Down a Rabbit Hole?

Dive deeper into the world of enrichment, behavior, and building harmony.

Episode #58 – Christina Horne – Systems for Navigating Service Dog Training & Society Explore the teacher/learner dynamic and how to thoughtfully navigate power dynamics in training.
Episode #84 – Kassidi Jones – Antiracism in Animal Welfare
Kassidi shares how we can integrate multiple cultural perspectives into our animal care approach.
Episode #102 – Gabrielle Johnson – Disability Justice in Animal Welfare
Learn how learning about disability justice leads to more effective and accessible behavior plans.

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Meet the Hosts

Allie Bender, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA

Allie Bender is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed, and a Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 2006 and professionally training since 2012. She is the founder and co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.

While in the animal sheltering industry, Allie realized that her passion lied in helping pets with maladaptive behaviors. Specifically, she wanted to help prevent animals with rehabilitatable problems from being euthanized. She loves working with dogs and cats displaying stranger danger, resource guarding, and leash reactivity. Her favorite thing about working with pets and their people is seeing relationships grow and seeing harmonious households develop.

Emily Strong, CDBC

Emily Strong is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 1990 and has been a behavior consultant since 2008. She is the co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.

Emily started working with animals at a young age and struggled with the notion that you have to hurt, scare, or intimidate animals to help them. When she discovered the behavior sciences and learned that it wasn’t necessary to do so– that we can care for emotional, mental, and physical health simultaneously– she plunged headfirst into animal behavior. Emily loves helping current and prospective behavior professionals and working with pet parents through our in-depth services. She enjoys working with all species.

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