I have been thinking deeply about the tragic incident at Camp Canine in Santa Barbara and everything that has followed.

As an animal advocate, dog lover, and someone who has personally witnessed Camp Canine’s work with rescue dogs, I feel compelled to share my perspective.

First and foremost, my sincerest and deepest condolences go to the family and to everyone who knew and loved this precious dog. This is an unimaginable loss.

When we leave our dogs at daycare, boarding, training, a shelter, a rescue, a veterinary office or anywhere else, we expect to pick them up happy and safe.

A family entrusted its beloved dog to others and did not get that dog back. Nothing can minimize the heartbreak of that loss.

Accountability matters. Safety protocols matter. Transparency matters. Mistakes were made, and Camp Canine acknowledged what happened and apologized.

The circumstances should be examined carefully, procedures must be strengthened, and meaningful changes should be made to help prevent another tragedy.

But accountability and compassion can — and must — exist at the same time.

My personal experience with Camp Canine has been positive. I have personally seen them help rescue organizations, shelter dogs, and individual dogs that needed more time, structure, patience, training and another chance.

They have offered discounts to rescues, donated services, provided training without charge, and worked with dogs that were struggling in shelter environments or were difficult to place.

They have invested significant time and effort in animals that might otherwise have had very few options.

These were not isolated acts performed for publicity. They have helped many dogs over the years, frequently without public recognition.

That history does not erase what happened. It does not make this family’s loss any less devastating.

But one terrible incident should not erase every animal that Camp Canine helped, every rescue they supported, or every act of kindness performed when no one was watching.

I also know personally that tragic mistakes can happen wherever animals are being cared for.

One of my own dogs was attacked by another dog while being cared for by a beloved pet sitter because a protocol was not followed.

I was devastated. However, I chose not to publicly shame or attempt to destroy the person involved.

Dogs have tragically been injured or have died while in the care of shelters, rescues, boarding facilities, daycare facilities, veterinary offices, trainers, pet sitters and even loving owners.

That does not excuse what happened at Camp Canine. It simply reminds us that human beings can make mistakes — and that some mistakes have devastating and irreversible consequences.

I also have compassion for the person directly involved. Imagine knowing that a mistake you made contributed to the death of an animal. That is something a person may carry for the rest of their life.

What now deeply concerns me is the violent rhetoric appearing in public social-media discussions.

Among the comments I have seen are:

“Burn it down and put the owners head on a stake.”

“I would find their home and burn it down.”

“Kill them they are evil.”

“Put me right behind bars, because I’m taking someone all the way out if this were my dog.”

I am reproducing these comments because I believe they must be taken seriously — not because I agree with them or want to amplify them. Screenshots and links documenting where they appeared should be preserved and provided to the appropriate authorities.

These comments do not represent peaceful advocacy, and I sincerely hope they do not reflect the intentions of those planning to demonstrate peacefully.

Calling for a building to be burned, a person to be killed, or someone’s home to be located and set on fire is not animal advocacy.

It does not honor the dog that died. It does not support the grieving family. It creates fear, increases hostility, and risks producing additional victims.

I respectfully ask the Santa Barbara Police Department to be aware of this rhetoric and to take appropriate precautions to protect everyone involved: the grieving family, peaceful demonstrators, Camp Canine’s owners and employees, neighboring businesses, members of the public, and the dogs currently being housed at the facility.

I also ask anyone participating in a demonstration to consider the effect that a large, loud gathering directly outside an animal-care facility may have on the animals inside.

The dogs do not understand why people are gathering, shouting or displaying anger.

Some may already be anxious, reactive, fearful, recovering from trauma, or struggling with unfamiliar surroundings. Loud shouting, amplified sound, banging on fences, threatening behavior, or confrontations could cause them significant distress.

Please do not frighten dogs in the name of advocating for a dog.

Peaceful protest is an important right. Families are entitled to seek answers, accountability and change.

But peaceful protest must remain peaceful, and organizers and participants should clearly condemn threats, harassment, property destruction and intimidation.

Before sharing a video, posting an accusation, threatening someone or deciding that one tragic event defines every person involved, I ask people to stop and consider:

What if you made the worst mistake of your life?

What if someone recorded you during one of the most traumatic moments you had ever experienced?

What if strangers who did not know all the facts spread that video, attached it permanently to your name, and decided that your worst moment represented your entire character?

What if people threatened your life, your home, your coworkers or your family while you were already trying to live with what happened?

None of us would want the worst moment of our lives to become the only thing people remembered about us.

This is not a request to ignore what happened. It is not an attempt to excuse negligence or prevent peaceful advocacy. It is a request to recognize that cruelty, harassment and threats are not accountability.

We can mourn this precious dog.

We can support the grieving family.

We can demand answers and accountability.

We can insist that procedures change.

We can advocate for stronger protections for every animal placed in someone else’s care.

We can remember the good that has also been done.

And we can still choose compassion.

This tragedy has already caused unimaginable pain. We should not allow it to become the justification for threats, intimidation or more suffering.