Like most people in this profession I’ve always been an animal lover. As a young girl I preferred stuffed animals to dolls and could often be found hanging out with the neighborhood dogs. Growing up I wasn’t sure what path my life would take, but I knew it would be working with animals. I simply didn’t consider any other options. My mother saw my passion for animals and encouraged me along the way. She enrolled me in my first obedience class with one of our family dogs when I was 12, and over the next four decades I continued to take classes with my own dogs.

After high school I got a job in boarding kennel. I spent all day with dogs and I loved it. I learned valuable lessons about how to interact with all types of dogs by watching their body language to assess what they were feeling and how to gain their trust, or how to calm down an overly excited dog. I observed how different breeds often had different behavior traits. I started studying breeds and behavior.

After 4 years of working 7 days a week 365 days a year scooping poop, wrangling rowdy dogs and missing out on events with family and friends (the busiest times in a kennel are weekends and holidays), I realized I wanted something more and revisited the idea of college. I enrolled in a local Jr. College and after graduating decided to pursue an additional degree in veterinary technology. While in tech college I worked part time on weekends in an animal shelter. Upon graduation I was immediately offered a job by the veterinarian I interned with and started on the next phase of my career with animals.

I absolutely loved working as a vet tech, and the knowledge I acquired over the years in addition to my shelter experience led to some volunteer work fostering for a few rescue groups. Before long I was managing a multi-dog home with 10 to 20 dogs at any given time, along with a few cats and birds. It was a dream come true for me. Eventually I was asked to take over as president of a 501c3 non-profit dog rescue specializing in small breed dogs. I was particularly drawn to special needs and senior dogs and cats, and developed a sanctuary program within the rescue.

In 2012 I went through a divorce and decided to return home to the Chicago area along with 15 rescue dogs. I was in my early 50’s and decades of physical work with animals had caught up with me causing some physical challenges that limited my ability to continue working as a vet tech. This meant my next chapter would include a change of direction in my career.

Shortly after moving and getting settled, I enrolled in an obedience class with one of my dogs. I liked the facility and the owner’s training philosophy. As luck would have it, she was looking for trainers to expand her business. I completed a professional dog training certification program and was hired to teach group puppy manners and beginners obedience classes. I also held private sessions for dogs with behavior issues. I was enjoying my new found career and really hitting my stride when unfortunately the owner of the facility became seriously ill and had to make the heartbreaking decision to close the business. I took some time to consider my choices and decided this was an opportunity to focus on my own animals and considered myself in early retirement.

With a lot of free time on my hands I decided to explore integrative and holistic pet care to expand my knowledge base. I spent the next few years taking a deep dive into the holistic pet space and was fascinated by the different modalities. I started taking an integrative approach for my own animals using both conventional and holistic treatments depending on the situation.

I’ve always had family and friends turn to me for advice with their animals and in the holistic space enjoyed sharing ideas within on-line groups. I realized I missed working with animals and their people. I felt very strongly that I had more to give along with a lifetime of experience to share, but I wasn’t sure what path to take. I took some time to reflect and found myself wanting a deeper connection with my own animal family. That started my research into the world of animal communication.

After several months reading books and watching various videos about animal communication, I discovered Dr. Cara Gubbins and instantly knew she was the one I wanted to study with. She is an incredible teacher and mentor. I enrolled in her Animal Communicator Academy and embarked on my path to train as an animal communicator. Graduating from the Academy was my first step toward where I now believe perhaps I was headed all along, to help bring people and animals closer through animal communication. It is incredibly fulfilling work and a continuing journey.

I currently share my life and home with 8 rescue dogs, 2 cats, 4 birds and a tortoise. I continue to have a soft spot for special needs and senior animals.