Mikayla Abeyagunawardene, KPA-CPT
Behavior and Intake Coordinator
In August 2024, Mikayla became POMDR's Behavior and Enrichment Coordinator, after joining the staff as Adoptions Coordinator in May of that year. Before then, she had years of volunteer experience with rescues in Northern California, taking on fostering, working with dog socialization, providing behavior support to fosters and adopters, maintaining an enrichment program, and growing her passion for positive reinforcement training.
Mikayla began her professional career working at local dog daycares and then went on to work as a seasonal wildlife rehabber with the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley. She also worked with animals at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, the San Jose Animal Care Center, and Pets In Need animal rescue, where she was promoted to assistant behavior specialist. She also has worked as an assistant in emergency veterinary medicine and, in a break from animal work, became a science education instructor for children.
Mikayla is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), having completed the challenging program and attaining certification while on the POMDR staff. She is one of very few KPA-CTPs in our region. She also holds certificates in wildlife search and rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, shelter ethology, and the Fear Free Shelter Program, among others.
