Compassion: Agility Training Facilities
01 Jan 2024
I was about to share a post from the owners of an agility training facility which contained a long email from an unhappy former student who was sharing their grievances about all their issues with the facility. The owners were hurt by vitriol in the email and explaining how they were trying their best to improve their facility. But, then this would devolve into the specifics of the email. I want to talk about the bigger picture.
People who use these facilities, myself included, really take for granted just how much time, effort, stress, and $$s it costs to run them. NONE of the owners are making big money; I’d think most are barely scraping by, and some are run at a loss just because the owners want a place to play with their dogs. The vast majority are families where one or both partners are working a full time job and they are living off of that income. Also a lot of upkeep is provided by agility or other friends who are doing it because of their relationships with the owners.
So yeah, there are likely “issues” at each place. But the way to get them fixed is to start from compassion. I try to think how would I want to be engaged if I was the owner, who already has a long to do list and limited money? Be nice, ask how you could help, come with a potential solution. They might not be aware of your concern or already have something in the works to resolve it. These are folks, just like us, trying to do their best.
Here are photos from three wonderful local facilities I’ve been fortunate enough to train/trial at in just the past month. Thanks to their owners for all their hard work!
Here’s to a happy and more compassionate new year!
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