Vanessa has held various positions since becoming involved in animal welfare in 2010. She spent a decade working her way from volunteer dog walker to shelter staff, foster parent, and full-time professional dog handler for a local victim’s services agency. She even presented her master’s thesis on dog bite prevention at an annual public health conference. Throughout this time, she put in work studying body language, attending seminars, and mentoring under local positive reinforcement trainers.
In addition to working with FurEver Good, Vanessa teaches group classes at Humane Animal Rescue on the North Side. She is also a founding member, board member, and Scholar Pit program manager of a local nonprofit, The Proper Pit Bull. Vanessa also has a Master of Public Health and spends her day working on patient safety research. She lives with two pit bull mixes, Keisel & Melo.
She is excited to be a part of a team that is committed to continuing education and values integrity and transparency.
Certifications Include:
Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed
AKC CGC Evaluator
Sniffspot Top Trainers in PA 2023
PetTech - Pet CPR & First Aid