I have enjoyed more than 40 years working in animal health and welfare. Most of my career was as a veterinary technician, but I’ve also worked in boarding kennels, county animal shelters, rescues and as a dog trainer. During my career as a veterinary technician I often adopted special needs and senior animals which led to my interest in rescue work. I volunteered as a foster mom and in 2003 became president of a 501c3 non-profit small dog rescue where I developed a sanctuary program for special needs and senior pets. Over the past few decades I have fostered hundreds of dogs and have managed a multi-dog home with numbers ranging between 4 and 20 dogs (including fosters), along with a several other animals including cats, various pocket pets, birds and reptiles since the early 1990’s.

In 2012 some profound changes in my personal life resulted in my decision to relocate from Minnesota back to my home state of Illinois along with my menagerie of animals. I wanted a fresh start, and that included a change of direction in my career. One of my lifelong passions has been studying dog breeds and behavior, and I have taken obedience classes for decades with my dogs. I completed a professional dog training certification program and was hired by a local training facility to teach group classes for puppies and beginner obedience. I also held private one on one sessions for dogs with behavior issues. Unfortunately, the owner of the training facility became seriously ill and had to close the business. After some thought, I decided to take a break. I had a houseful of animals to keep me busy and wanted to explore holistic and alternative ways of treating animals to expand my knowledge base. I found that enjoyed looking at things with a new perspective and spent a few years taking a deep dive into the holistic pet space.

Eventually I started to realize how much 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. As a child I had always wished I could talk to animals, and found myself wanting an even deeper connection with my own crew. I began researching the world of animal communication. I was led to Dr. Cara Gubbins, 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 10 rescue dogs, 2 cats, 4 birds and a tortoise. I continue to have a soft spot for special needs and senior animals.