I knew from a young age that I wanted to work with animals and have always shared my life with dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and various pocket pets.

I’ve enjoyed the privilege of 40+ years working in the areas of animal health and welfare. After high school I worked in boarding kennel for a few years before deciding to pursue a degree in veterinary technology. I worked part time in a county animal shelter while in college.

I absolutely loved my career as a vet tech and it eventually led to some volunteer work fostering for rescue groups. In 2003 I was asked to take over as president of a 501c3 non-profit dog rescue. Over the next several years I developed a sanctuary program for special needs and senior pets within the rescue and fostered hundreds of dogs. I have managed a multi-dog home with numbers ranging between 10 and at times over 20 dogs (including fosters), for over two decades.

In 2012 some profound changes in my personal life gave me the opportunity to relocate from Minnesota back to my home state of Illinois. 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 participated in multiple obedience classes for decades with my dogs. After completing a professional dog training certification program, I 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 helping animals to expand my knowledge base. I quickly 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 animal family. 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.