Kat CPDT-KSA ABCDT
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I've been fascinated by animals for as long as I can remember. My siblings and I had a variety of pets when we were growing up.
When I moved out to go to college I wasn't allowed to have pets (I had fish anyways and even snuck in the occasional dog or cat overnight with permission from their owners.) So I found jobs where I could work with animals. During this time I worked for the largest pet store in Florida, where I got to care for small animals and birds. I worked for a large-scale kennel owned by championship dog breeders. This was where I got my first taste of hands-on experience caring for a wide variety of dog breeds and even a handful of cats. I also got some experience caring for litters of puppies.
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I've since then worked for a cage-free dog daycare facility in Utah, for a national service dog organization, volunteered with a local service dog organization for veterans, volunteered with local shelters and rescues, shadowed other pet professionals, graduated from Animal Behavior College, set up my own training business, my own trainee program and welcomed into my home 2 kids, 2 dogs, a cat, a handful of pet mice and 4 millipedes (they're actually really cute).
Fun fact - I told my husband when I was dating him that I really wanted to be proposed to with a puppy. Since he couldn't get me a real puppy, he proposed to me with a stuffed puppy with the ring tied around its neck. You can see the picture in the slideshow above. :)
Fun fact - I told my husband when I was dating him that I really wanted to be proposed to with a puppy. Since he couldn't get me a real puppy, he proposed to me with a stuffed puppy with the ring tied around its neck. You can see the picture in the slideshow above. :)
I'm currently an alumni of and mentor trainer through Animal Behavior College, and an Evaluator through the American Kennel Club. I have ABCDT and CPDT-KSA certifications. I'm working toward a fear-free certification and membership and a behavior consultancy certification through the IAABC.
As I've continued my education, I've become more and more excited to implement more effective, science-based training methods into my training programs. I'm also excited to branch out into additional species and build more relationships with both people and animals.
My passion is in learning as much as I can about how to effectively train and advocate for a number of animal species, as well as teaching others how to do the same.
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