Animals have always been a part of my life. Growing up my family had cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds. In junior high I volunteered at a veterinary clinic in Indiana and dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. Life took some twists and turns and I became a marketing professional for many years but I knew I still wanted a career working with animals.
In 2008 I began pursuing my dream of a career helping animals in earnest and I am certified in Pet CPR and First Aid, as a Master Level Reiki Practitioner and a Canine Massage Therapist. Massage and energy work have given me another way to extend the happiness and quality of life we all want our beloved animal companions to have.
I have always been an active volunteer in the community and I have over 11 years of of animal handling experience working at the Humane Society of Pinellas and volunteering as a Family Dog Trainer and Humane Education Speaker for the SPCA Tampa. I am a member of the Tampa Bay Disaster Animal Response Team and National Disaster Animal Response Team and have been deployed to natural and man-made disasters extensively to rescue, shelter and transport affected animals. I have had the good fortune to have been deployed with DART to help animals in need from large scale events such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike, Pine Bluffs Puppy Mill in Tennessee and Whispering Oaks Puppy Mill in West Virginia. I am also a member of the International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork, and Association of Pet Dog Trainers.
I continue my education through seminars, hands on with clients and rescues and classes. I am a huge advocate of being proactive by educating the public about animal welfare issues and am available to train and do speaking engagements and seminars on animal cruelty, puppy mills, animal handling and canine massage.
A career helping animals…Awesome!
