My Story

From as far back as I can remember, I have been passionate about animals. I care deeply about them and have always felt a strong connection to them. When I first started my business, I began by providing a compassionate grooming option for dog parents with pets who couldn’t tolerate a traditional groomer. My patience and calm energy created a safe space for dogs to be groomed with minimal stress and anxiety.

As much as I loved this, I decided I was better suited for creating a fun and functional play environment for dogs. As I learned about training, I became engaged in teaching myself about dog body language and dog psychology. This was a huge part of my life that fed my soul on a daily basis and created a massive knowledge base for what I do today.

While I was developing my skills and knowledge, my beloved soul dog, Maple, started to become sick. There were only subtle signs at first. I later understood these began much earlier than I had ever known. I didn’t know much about canine nutrition at the time, but this was the true beginning of my journey with nutrition. From constant ear infections and gland issues, to itchy paws and agitated skin, this was only the start of my Maple’s issues. Once I realized she had allergies and got her tested, I was able to clear some of these symptoms, but still didn’t fully understand the root cause. She began showing different signs, which I later learned were related to her gut health. Before I understood this fully, I was advised by my vet to put her on a limited ingredient diet. Because of her many allergies I didn’t have a lot of options, but one of my clients suggested I try raw food. The ingredients are generally much more limited than traditional kibble so it seemed like a great option. I hadn’t considered this before (only because of my lack of knowledge) but right away I noticed her improving. I now believe this extended her life by years.

As I learned more about fresh food, I discovered a company called Real Dog Box that makes air dried treats and chews. I was very excited to try this because it was so difficult for me to find treats and chews that my Maple could have because of her sensitivities. This company gave a subscription option which included a consult with a CPCN every month. I immediately knew this is what I needed, as I had been looking for a nutritionist ever since my own vet told me that veterinarians are not typically trained in nutrition. The more I learned, the more I realized what I needed to do for my Maple in order to give her the best life I could.

Eventually, I decided that I wanted to become a professional canine nutritionist myself. Fortunately, around the same time, Real Dog Box came out with a RACE certified nutritionist course that was created for veterinarians and professionals in the dog care industry. I jumped on this opportunity and was one of the first people to start the course. I was excited and motivated to learn and to help others understand what they could do to improve the lives of their dogs.

A few weeks after I started the course, my Maple suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. I was devastated. She was only eight years old. A couple months later, when I was strong enough to call the emergency vet who treated her, they told me they believed it was cancer. They said it often goes unnoticed since she would have needed to have had a scan to find it. When I went back to my holistic vet, I asked her if she thought that feeding her the kibble I had fed for so long had contributed to her death, and she agreed without hesitation. Some dogs are more sensitive than others and I didn’t know any better at the time. I was only trying to feed her something affordable that wouldn’t cause her allergies to flair up.

To this day, I wish I had known more so I could have done better for my Maple. She was my perfect poodle, my best friend, and everything anyone could have asked for in a dog. I was so lucky to have known her for as long as I did. My experience with Maple is why I am so passionate about my work. I want to do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone and their beloved companion again. It is my mission to help educate others and assist in their journey in creating a forever dog.