Green Acres Kennel

Don Hanson is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, Maine, where he is also the Director of Behavior Counseling and Training. As a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP) and Associate Certified Cat Behavior Consultant (ACCBC), Don also assists pet parents and their dogs and cats with behavioral problems such as separation anxiety and aggression.

A member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) since 1995, in 1998 Don was asked by APDT's founder, Dr. Ian Dunbar, to serve on the APDT's first Education Committee. As a member of that committee, he was one of twenty dog training professionals and behaviorists selected by the APDT to research and develop the first comprehensive written certification examination for pet dog trainers. He became one of the first trainers certified by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers in September of 2001.

Don is very involved in the pet community. He served on the Bangor Humane Society Board of Directors from 1996 until 2011 and was its President from 1998 through 2003. He also served on the Maine State Animal Welfare Advisory Council (AWAC), representing licensed kennels, from 2006 through 2011.

In 2001, Don was elected to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) Board of Trustees. He was elected to a second, three-year term on the APDT Board in the fall of 2004. Don served the APDT as Vice Chair in 2005 and 2006 and Chair in 2007. In 2009, he was appointed to lead the APDT's new Education Committee. He was again elected to the APDT Board of Trustees in 2011. He was elected Vice Chair of the Board in January 2011 and became Chair in July of 2011. He was again elected Chair of the APDT Board for 2012. Don served on the APDT Board as Treasurer in 2013 and retired at the end of his term. At the annual conference in October of 2014, Don was recognized as the Dr. Ian Dunbar Member of the Year for his many contributions to APDT and the profession of dog training.

Committed to educating others, Don has presented seminars on pet behavior, dog training, pet nutrition and Bach Flower Remedies in Canada, the Caribbean, Japan, and throughout the US. Don has been the producer and co-host of "The Woof Meow" show, a weekly radio program, since 2004. He has also written articles for various pet-related publications and writes about dogs and cats at his blog Words, Woofs, and Meows.

Don and his wife, Paula currently share their home with one dog, Muppy, a Golden Retriever/Cocker Spaniel, a rescue that joined their family on May 1st, 2013 and Boomer a 15 m/o rescued cat that joined their family in August of 2015. Thelma and Louise (the Green Acres two domestic short haired cats and official mouse patrol) have been part of the family since May of 2001 and reside in the store.