COAPE Diploma Lecturers & Tutors

Karin Pienaar

COAPE International Partner. 
DipCABT (COAPE) OCN, CertCAB, CAPBT Practitioner, CAB. 

Karin has been working in the field of animal behaviour therapy since 1997. She completed her Diploma in Animal Behaviour in the UK with COAPE.  She is a member of both the CAPBT and ICAN and is an International Certified Animal Behaviourist (CAB). 

After more than 20 years of consulting with dog and cat owners, Karin now focuses mainly on managing COAPE International, presenting the COAPE Diploma and mentoring students.  She is also responsible for course advancement and developed the industry-changing MHERA™ concept which is now taught as a core component of the COAPE approach. Karin is the  Behaviour Consultant to numerous pet companies such as Eukanuba and Ascendis Animal Health and is a regular contributor to several local and international magazines, as well as appearing on television and radio when time allows.  

She heads the Enrichment Partnership Program between COAPE International and several captive wildlife facilities, where she and her team volunteer their time to develop bespoke enrichment programs to promote the behavioural and emotional health of the animals, as well as implementing consent-based training to facilitate stress-free husbandry and medical procedures in captive wildlife. The captive animal project provides the unique opportunity to apply COAPE’s MHERA™ and ESTA™ techniques to a huge variety of animal species, with great success to date. 

When she has time to spare, she consults on particularly challenging cases and as an Expert Witness in legal cases involving Animal Behaviour. 

Karin is the Head Lecturer and tutors the COAPE Diploma.

Leigh Shenker

BADA (Hons)(WITS), DipCABT (COAPE) OCN, CAPBT Practitioner

Leigh’s studies and career path started in the field of human behaviour, working primarily with youth at risk. Her love of four legged creatures led her to change direction towards all things related to animal behaviour, and she completed her Diploma in Animal Behaviour through COAPE International. ​

​Leigh is a qualified Practitioner member of CAPBT.  She has a special interest in natural medicine for animals and grows and sources many unusual medicinal plants. ​

​As the Marking Manager, she forms part of the COAPE management Team.  When not lecturing and tutoring the COAPE Diploma, Leigh spends most of her time involved in shelter work and working with clients. ​

​Her dedication to shelter work is reflected in several programmes and systems she has set up, and she is committed to changing the traditional model for animal shelters and improving basic conditions for all animals, as well as assisting families who choose to adopt a rescue.

Vicky Payne ​

BVetMed MRCVS, DipCABT (UK)​

​Dr. Vicky Payne is a General Veterinary Practitioner and Holistic Vet living in East Sussex, England. She graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2001 and has worked in both small and mixed practices since then.  She has also undertaken further studies in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary herbal medicine and animal behaviour. ​

​Vicky completed her COAPE UK Level 6 Diploma in 2017 and has been incorporating emotion-based animal behaviour into her veterinary practice ever since. Her favourite area to work in is problem prevention; Vicky’s passion is starting puppies and kittens off right and preventing their experiences at the vet from turning into a lifelong problem. Her acupuncture practice means she spends a lot of time with end-of-life pets too, and she has found that her behaviour training helps her to enhance their lives. ​

​Vicky also teaches Pet First Aid courses to pet professionals and owners and in 2021, joined the COAPE International Team as the UK Veterinary Advisor and Diploma Lecturer. ​

Nancy Payne

BA(Physics), MSc (Physics)​

Before discovering the world of animal behaviour, Nancy’s studies began in the field of physics with an undergrad degree from the University of Oxford, graduating in 2014. After several internships ranging from medical imaging to solar cells, she settled in South Africa for her Master’s in laser physics, and she’s now several years into a PhD in quantum physics at Stellenbosch University. In addition to research, Nancy is involved in tutoring, lecturing, and public outreach, doing her best to convince people that physics is way more fun than they think.​

Nancy’s education in animal behaviour began with a trial by fire when she adopted Roxy the shelter dog, who kindly provided an opportunity for Nancy to experience most unwanted dog behaviours first-hand. Nancy decided it was time to formalise her dog related education and completed the C01 DogWise course. Not willing to stop there, she promptly enrolled in the COAPE Diploma in Animal Behaviour.  In 2020, she joined the COAPE Team as a Tutor and Researcher, working closely with Karin and writing several essential components of the Diploma. ​

Nancy’s passions lie in rehabilitation of fearful and aggressive animals, and helping owners and shelters understand the animal behind the behaviour. Nancy also has a keen interest in the science of behaviour and how a better understanding of what’s going on in the brain can contribute to applied behaviour modification.

Nancy lectures and tutors the COAPE Diploma.

Jo Scott

QTLS, RVN, Dip CABT, CABP, MAPDT, CAPBT Practitioner member.

Jo graduated with her COAPE Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour in 1999 and worked for Cedar Veterinary Group for 25 years, initially as head nurse and then from 1994-2008, as a full-time professional referral pet behaviour therapist and dog trainer. During this time Jo qualified in clinical small animal nutrition, a subject she has always been interested in. Jo then achieved her teaching qualifications whilst working full time as Course Tutor in animal behaviour, animal care and veterinary nursing at Kingston Maurward College. She went on to combine all her qualifications by returning to practice for Springbok Veterinary Group in Dorset where she was Principal of the South Coast Hydrotherapy School. She then moved to an exotic referral practice at Piddle Valley Vets as RVN, Animal Behaviour Therapist and trainer, and was in charge of nurse training.

Jo writes books and articles on companion animal behaviour and pet first aid, on which she also runs courses. She spends the rest of her time with her family and growing menagerie of dogs, cats, ferrets, ponies and her beloved horse, Gentleman Jim. 

Jo tutors the COAPE Diploma.