Ryan Dillon BSc(hons) MSc CCAB PACT-KSA ABTC-ATI
Owner, Lead Clinician, Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist
Ryan is the owner of Oxfordshire Animal Behaviour and Training (OABT) and has worked with over 1,000 clients and their pets. Because of his enthusiastic and upbeat approach to teaching, he often leads the puppy classes which have gained popularity around Abingdon. Ryan also takes on behaviour consultation cases with Sarah and Charlotte, runs OABT’s behaviour rehab training sessions and produces tutorial videos and handouts for clients. His empathetic and supportive approach makes Ryan popular amongst his clients.
Ryan is a qualified dog trainer with the Professional Association of Canine Trainers (PACT) and a recognised animal training instructor with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). He is also a certified clinical animal behaviourist with the CCAB and a certificated member of the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians.
Ryan earned a distinction in the BSc(hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare degree at Oxford Brookes University in 2019 and a distinction in the Clinical Animal Behaviour Master’s degree at the University of Lincoln in 2020. He started a PhD at the University of Lincoln in 2025, exploring the role and impact of puppy training classes.
Alongside running OABT, Ryan is also a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and Abingdon and Witney College, teaching on the animal behaviour-related degrees. He was also a tutor and assessor at PACT, whereby he taught and assessed students on their journey to becoming qualified dog trainers.
Charlotte Freeborn BSc(hons)
Lead Clinician, Animal Behaviourist and Trainer
Charlotte graduated from Harper Adams University with a BSc (hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare (Clinical)
After graduation she has worked as an Animal Care Assistant and a Behaviour and Welfare Advisor for the RSPCA – rehabilitating and rehoming rescue animals. She then worked for Battersea as a Rehoming and Welfare Coordinator – managing a team of welfare and rehoming assistants, assessing dog behaviour, providing training and behaviour modification for rescue dogs in preparation for their new home. Now, Charlotte is a senior trainer at the Stoken Church Dog Rescue. Charlotte has experience working with abused and neglected dogs many of which have a variety of difficult behaviour issues.
She is a provisional member* of the Association Pet Behaviour Counsellors and a candidate member with the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians. The APBC and FABC represent a network of behaviour counsellors that have achieved the highest proven academic and practical standards available in the field of companion animal behavioural therapy. APBC and FABC members abide by a strict code of conduct and continually develop their professional knowledge in the light of new research. Finally, she is also a pre-certified clinical animal behaviour with the ssociation for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB).
Charlotte thoroughly enjoys helping owners to understand their animals, to help strengthen the dog and owner bond. She has a particular soft spot for rescue dogs, border terriers and senior dogs!
*Provisional APBC members have demonstrated that they have the appropriate level of Knowledge and Understanding for the professional role of Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB). They are now gaining the practical experience necessary to be assessed as a CAB and therefore become a full member of the APBC. The APBC supports its provisional members undertaking behaviour consultations.
Sarah Tapsell BSc MSc CCAB ABTC-CAB PACT-KSA ABTC-ATI
Lead Clinician, Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist
Sarah Tapsell has previously worked with the OABT and is returning to offer virtual consultations as part of OABT’s services. She is a Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Animal Training Instructor with 20 years’ experience across animal welfare, rescue, and clinical behaviour and training sectors. Sarah holds an MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour (Distinction) and is a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB), registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council.
Her career includes frontline and senior behaviour roles with organisations such as Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, the RSPCA, and Dogs Trust, alongside years of self-employed clinical behaviour work with pet owners, specialising in dogs. This breadth of experience has given her a strong grounding in both everyday behaviour concerns and complex cases involving fear, anxiety, aggression, and trauma.
Sarah has extensive experience working in rescue environments, supporting care givers to support animals with challenging histories and working closely with staff, veterinary teams, foster carers, and adopters to make welfare-led decisions. She brings this experience to her private work with pet owners and is known for her calm, thoughtful, and thorough approach, focusing on ethical, evidence-based practice and supporting owners in a clear, realistic, and non-judgemental way, helping both animals and their people feel more secure and supported.
Caz Bunce ABTC-ATI PACT-KSA
Clinical Support Team, Animal Training Instructor
Caz embarked on her journey with dogs in 2012 when she welcomed her first dog, Rolo, into her life. Since then, Caz has been deeply committed to understanding dogs and mastering the art of training them. Her passion led her to offer local dog walking, sitting, and boarding services, where she observed the dogs in her care closely.
Caz has a rich background in Adult Social Care, where she honed her skills in empathy and support—skills that are invaluable when coaching clients to train their dogs. Her experience in this field spans nine years, during which time she also became a parent to two children.
In 2022, Caz founded her own dog training business, Caz and Co Dog Training, out of a desire to support people and their dogs with training. She has since worked with a diverse range of breeds, from Chihuahuas to Huskies. In 2023, she achieved accreditation as a Canine Training Instructor with the Professional Association of Canine Trainers. She is also a proud member of the Animal Behaviour and Training Council and a Kids Around Dogs Professional.
Alongisde her own business, Caz supports OABT by providing follow-up 1-2-1s and group sessions.