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Work WIth Me

About Me

VIEW EXPERIENCE

2000 - 2001

Myanmar/Thailand Dolphin Project Ran the veterinary program and trained wild caught dolphins.

2002 - 2004

Jeronimo Veterinary Clinic (vet assistant) Veterinary assistant at small animal hospital

2004 - 2010

Everything In The Ark Animal Training (owner/trainer) Created a large training facility where I held group classes, private and in home training for obedience and behavioral issue animals, retail, grooming, self service dog wash, veterinary dermatologist, and small dog daycare.

2011 - 2017

Curator of Animal Development and Training at The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens Managed many employees, the interpretive department of the zoo, and all animal training from quarantine to exhibit. Mostly trained to lower stress in the animals and to have animals choose to actively participate in many difficult veterinary procedures. Also created enrichment programs, education programs, public experiences and taught keepers how to have a better relationship with their animals.

2014 - Present

Owner Trainer at Midwest Animal Training Trained animals for movies, film, and print. Most of the animals that I train for roles are rescues that are then adopted out after they are finished with their role.

About Me

I have been professionally training animals since 2000. I have worked with many different kinds of animals from wild dolphins, zoo animals, privately owned exotics, rescues for both exotics and domestics, and have trained hundreds of dogs and cats. From 2011-2017 I was the Curator of Animal Development and Training for The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. I managed all the animal training for the zoo while creating programs and managing many people. I began working in the film industry in 2014 and haven’t looked back.

I love working on commercials and films. Combining my love of rescuing animals with training is something that I have truly been blessed to call my profession and passion. People I have worked with say I am easy going, adaptable, professional, kind, easy to work with and am able to handle stressful situations well.

More About Me & My Experience

Training Behaviors and Highlights

I love working with the actors and the script, using natural actions or script dialog to cue animals, so the behaviors look as organic as possible

Movie Film and Commercial Behaviors

  • Long down stay
  • Long sit stay
  • Long stand stay
  • Go to mark
  • Follow actors
  • Loose leash walk
  • On and off leash work (both cats and dogs)
  • Chained behaviors
  • Working around other animals
  • Distance commands
  • Jumps
  • Rolling
  • Tricks
  • A-B
  • Head control, left, right, up, down
  • Laying sphinx, on hip, on side, on back
  • Come to crate or go to crate

Volunteer Experience

  • Rare and Wild Productions
  • Coastal Primate Rescue
  • Friends of the Sea Lion Project Wildlife
  • Rabbit Haven
  • Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
  • Jones Animal Hospital
  • Lampang Elephant Hospital
  • Thai Elephant Conservation Center
  • Ranong Zoo

Exotics

  • Safely working with and around public
  • Trained goats to walk on leash with a child in a film
  • Trained a black rhino to sit, turn, lay down, speak and place their foot on a block for a voluntary blood draw
  • Trained a cougar to go to place, jump, move shoulder to mesh for vaccination and come to recall
  • Trained many exotics to walk safely on leash
  • Trained a polar bear to sit, down, target, place foot into a space for a voluntary blood draw, place shoulder against medical wall for injections, and to bring her belly up the mesh for ultrasounds
  • Trained an otter for injections and ultrasounds
  • Trained Sea Lions for eye exams, blood draws, injections, and fun behaviors like handstand Trained a Bactrain Camel to lay down, go to his place and stay there until released, and to target
  • Trained a clouded leopard to voluntarily receive subcutaneous fluids
  • Trained a llama to stand on a log and turn a circle
  • Trained a pig to carry a box down a path
  • I love working with the actors and the script, using natural actions or script dialog to cue animals, so the behaviors look as organic as possible

Favorite Behaviors for Film/Commercials

  • Training Molly a dog for Killing of a Sacred Deer to enter the room, place her head on a coffee table with her nose touching a cake, staring at it… but not eating it!
  • Training Hunter, cat for the Litter Robot Commercial, to jump on the counter, cross the counter and place his paws on the actress’s shoulder
  • Training Porter a dog for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile to snarl and bark at the actor through a chain link fence
  • Training Titan a dog for a short film with many chained behaviors such as crossing a room and placing his head on a baby’s high chair table, begging for food
  • Crawling across the floor to steal the baby’s burp rag from the actress’s shoulder and then shaking it
  • Training him to appear to lift his leg on the baby