MEET OUR STAFF

Dr. Laurie Coger is an integrative and functional medicine veterinarian, dog owner, trainer, and breeder. Her mission is to guide owners down the natural dog care path, helping them to become educated and empowered advocates for their best friend’s health. She is an honors graduate of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, majoring in Animal Science, with a special interest and advanced training in nutrition. She received her DVM degree from Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Her “real world” experiences in veterinary hospitals both large and small, house call practice, and shelter medicine have broadened her skills and knowledge. One of her favorite job duties is as resident veterinarian for Canine Camp Getaway, the country’s ultimate dog lovers’ vacation in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. She is founder of the Healthy Dog Expo, the Northeast’s foremost natural dog health educational event Dr. Coger’s practice and dog care philosophy emphasize natural methods and care. She regularly integrates chiropractic, low level laser, herbal, nutritional, and physical therapy techniques into her treatment plans. She is a staunch advocate of raw, natural diets. Her first book, “Vaccines Explained: The Wholistic Vet’s Guide to Vaccinating Your Dog,” is currently being updated. Well known in the media, having been featured in USA Today, Dogs Naturally Magazine, Pet360, PetMD, and numerous nationally known blogs and websites, she has been nominated for a Dog Writers’ Association of America award for her work in the Australian Shepherd Journal.

A South Louisiana native, Dr. Mark Nunez is an LSU graduate who previously spent six years in the US Air Force and three years in the US Army National Guard. He lived and practiced in New York for 20 years before relocating to Virginia. As the owner, senior veterinary partner and medical director of Levittown Animal Hospital and Farmingdale Dog and Cat Clinic on Long Island, he provided top notch care for his patients in an innovative, caring environment that fostered team collaboration and cutting-edge thinking. He was named “best veterinarian on Long Island” multiple times and his hospital was voted the best animal hospital on Long Island for more than a decade. Dr. Nunez was the first veterinarian on Long Island to become certified in Low Stress Handling and have the first Low Stress Handling Certified Hospital on Long Island. After practicing for 20 years, Dr. Nunez recognized an exponential increase in the cost of veterinary services, as well as very long wait times (his practices were booked weeks in advance, an increasingly common phenomenon in veterinary medicine). This led to the creation of his Virtual Vet Care business, which provides patients with better access to care, creating an outstanding virtual experience and developing long-term relationships with his clients and patients.

A native of Long Island, Dr. Tiffany Sikalas received her Bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in Chemistry from Hunter College in 2008 before going on earn her VMD degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She then completed a rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship at the ASPCA Animal Hospital in New York City. After spending some time practicing emergency medicine in Connecticut, Dr. Sikalas was returned to Long Island where she works in Emergency Medicine at West Hills Animal Hospital. She shares her home with three Pomeranians, Nugget, Swirl, Kerfluffle and Roulette, and her Rottweiler Carl, and divides her spare time between dog sport competitions and traveling the globe, from African safaris to Taylor Swift concerts in Switzerland. She has earned numerous titles in agility, barn hunt, rally, FastCAT, dock diving and obedience, and has competed at Westminster in agility.

Dr. Laura Fiore was born and raised on Long Island and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Stony Brook University and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2007 from St. George’s University, Grenada. After completing a year-long internship in small animal medicine and surgery, she practiced small animal & exotics medicine for seven years before transitioning into emergency medicine practice. In 2013 Dr. Fiore founded Faithful Friends Veterinary Services, PC with the goal to provide compassionate in-home end-of-life care for pets and their families. Dr. Fiore finds immense gratification in being able to give families the opportunity to have a peaceful and personalized experience in the comfort of their pet’s most familiar environments. Outside of work, Dr. Fiore is actively involved in competition sports and activities with her own dogs, Sage, Sloane, Bosley and Turin. She also enjoys reading and spending time outdoors, as long as it’s warm!

Canine Camp Getaway’s “lure master” Lynn Kiaer is a lifelong dog lover and owner, having owned (or been owned by) a German Shepherd, a Shetland Sheepdog, an Irish Setter, a Lakeland Terrier, German Shorthaired Pointers, a Cocker Spaniel, a field bred English Setter and assorted (mostly terrier) mutts. She met her first Scottish Deerhound when she was a freshman in college, and knew from that moment that she would someday own a Deerhound. The big grey dogs struck a chord that still resonates. For over 20 years, she and her husband Charlie have been breeding, raising, training, showing, lure coursing and racing Scottish Deerhounds, and she has also competed in obedience, rally and agility with some of them; in the last few years they have added whippets to the mix as well. Their Cu Liath Deerhounds (Cu Liath means “gray dog” in Gaelic) include some of the most successful dogs in the breed, including Jynx, the only Deerhound ever to win both Best in Field and Best in Show (with Lynn handling!). Lure coursing is a sport for sighthounds, and as Lynn and Charlie belive that form follows function, they have been very active in the sport, with 15 dual champions (conformation and lure coursing) over the years. Lure coursing requires no particular training – the vast majority of dogs love to chase – but positive experiences are very important. Lynn works with each dog as an individual, often finding ways to encourage even the most hesitant dogs to chase the lure with enthusiasm. Methods are strictly positive, as lure coursing is meant to be fun for dogs and owners alike. Lynn’s training methods are not focused on service, protection or competitive dog sports, but on building a rapport with your dog, and simply on raising a dog you can live with. Her goal is for the dog to be cooperative rather than necessarily obedient, and leads a loose-leash-walking training session at camp. She is very conscious that we are training dogs every minute we are with them (and sometimes even when we are not!). Because she and her husband live with a large pack (of large dogs!), she is well versed in pack dynamics, and is an excellent resource for those who want to know more about successfully navigating the multi-dog household. In her non-doggy life (is there life without dogs?), Lynn is a mother (to three humans), grandmother of two and a mathematician. She spent many years with GE’s Corporate Research Center, and has taught at the college level both in traditional classrooms and online. Currently semi-retired, she works with small-to-medium-sized businesses doing program evaluations, survey analysis and other mathematical stuff.

Frank Bonomo has been one of New York’s (and now Virginia’s) premier dog trainers for more than 25 years. President and founder of Best Friends Dog Training (www.muttmanners.com), as well as former owner of the New York Academy for Dog Trainers, he has not only trained thousands of dogs, but also gained a reputation as “trainer to the trainers” with his comprehensive New York Academy for Dog Trainers curriculum. Frank founded Best Friends Dog Training in 1999 after completing his initial apprenticeship in obedience and protection training. He quickly made a name for himself in the dog training field, both for his ability to take on “problem dogs” that everyone else had given up on, and for his unique lifetime training program that provided one price “lifetime training” for all clients. His motto “As long as you keep coming, I’ll keep teaching” earned him numerous regular clients who stuck around for months and even years, and his weekly group classes quickly became so popular, he had to expand both the frequency and geographic reach. As his business continued to grow, he expanded his offerings from Long Island to residents of Manhattan, Westchester, Saratoga Springs, New Jersey and Connecticut – and has even had clients fly him out to France to do private training work. He relocated to Virginia with his family in 2015, where he began training dogs in Northern Virginia and Richmond, VA, offering group classes and private training for Virginia-based clients while still maintaining his New York training business. Over the past 25 years, he has trained service dogs, rescue dogs and numerous dogs that were deemed “hopeless,” and remains an active supporter of various therapy dog programs. Frank built his business on the idea that trainers need to continually evolve, and as such, he has studied virtually every major training methodology. Unlike many trainers, who take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to dog training, he believes that there is no one “right” way to train, but rather, the training method must fit the individual dog and the dog’s needs, as well as the handler’s capabilities. Frank holds certifications for narcotics and scent-detection training, has titled dogs in protection sports and does continuing education on a regular basis at various locations throughout the U.S. He has authored a regular column for LongIsland.com, been quoted as an dog training expert in Forbes, and hosts and assists with seminars for both family pet owners and Police-Only training seminars. He currently shares his home with his two daughters, five dogs, some extremely brave chickens and a rotating array of boarder dogs.

Dr. Mary Travers began her apprenticeship in dog training in 2002 after completing her second Masters Degree in Psychology. After completing an 18-month apprenticeship, she began working as a dog trainer at Best Friends Dog Training, providing both one-one-one private training sessions and and group classes, including a special class geared specifically for small dogs. She continued to work as a trainer while getting her PhD in Clinical and School Psychology at Hofstra University. During her dissertation, which addressed Learning Behavior in Dogs, she worked with more than 40 dogs, including a number of rescue dogs which she has since found homes for. Since earning her PhD, she has spoken at various conferences across the country, including the Annual Association for Behavior Analysis International Conference in Phoenix, where she presented her work on The Effects of Reinforcing With Combined Food and Praise on Eating and Weight Gain in Dogs. In 2010, she helped found SuperPaws Dog Training (http://superpawsk9.com) with husband Chris Smith, and in 2015, they opened a training and boarding facility in Garden City Park, NY where they continue to train dogs throughout Long Island, Manhattan, Westchester and Northern New Jersey. She is also co-founder of The Barking Barracks, a charitable organization that provides long-term, low- or no-cost boarding for U.S. Military Service Members while their duties take them away from home. She currently shares her home with her husband, daughters Killian and Fallon, Belgian Malinois Katana, Halo and McLovin’ and mini aussies Margarita and Sambuca. She is delighted to be returning to Canine Camp Getaway and is looking forward to seeing old friends and clients, helping guests with their training and behavior questions and taking Katana out to do some lure coursing!

Renee Shriver has been a dog sport instructor for 20+ years and is well known in the tri-state area for her work in a wide variety of dog sports. Her love of all things dog-related can be traced back to her childhood when she spent a lot of time around a local training club while her mother trained dogs. It should be no surprise that she fell in love with dog training when she was reintroduced to it as an adult and became addicted to working with dogs! She became a full-time dog trainer after being laid off from an office job, and has taught private and group classes for 20+ years in agility, fetch, fitness, focus/attention, musical freestyle, competition obedience, pet obedience, rally, scent work, therapy dog/CGC, tricks and Treibball. She took her first obedience class in 1999 and started teaching in 2003. She says, “I love the bond that dog training brought into my relationship with my dogs.” Her dog Angel started her on the journey of bringing smiles to people when she became her first therapy dog. The journey may have started with Angel, but each dog since has helped her to explore new dog sports and to continue on the amazing journey that is life with dogs. Renee is actively training and competing with Annabel and Zane in agility, obedience, rally, musical freestyle, pet therapy, nose work, Fetch, Canine Fitness and tricks. Melody is now semi-retired, but she still competes in rally and also has learned tracking as a retirement sport. On Wednesday afternoons you will find her visiting a nursing home with Annabel or Zane, her current therapy dogs. Over the past 25 years, Renee’s dogs have made hundreds of visits to schools, Girl Scout troops, libraries, hospitals, nursing homes, programs teaching dog etiquette to children, giving demonstrations and more. She says, “I love to make training fun for both the human and canine members of the team. After all, we do this for fun and we ask the dogs to do a lot for us, so let’s make it a happy experience for the whole team!” This is evident in the numerous titles her dogs have earned. Melody has prefix titles of AGCH MACH4 RACH2 in AKC, an ARCHMX8 in APDT Rally and an OTCH-C in Companion Dog Sports Program. Annabel has a prefix title of RACH in AKC and ARCHMX in APDT Rally. She is currently working towards her PACH in agility. Renee’s up and coming young dog Zane has his prefix title of MACH in AKC and is working on titles in rally and obedience. On weekends you will find Renee trialing in one of her many sports. She believes that to teach competition sports, she needs to be out competing with her canine partners. While she’s earned numerous titles on her dogs, she believes that “the fun is more important than any title we will ever earn.” Renee loves working with people and their dogs to enhance the bond between them and help them to reach their greatest potential as a team. She also believes in giving back, and has worked with rescue organizations doing fostering, intake, home visits, transport and evaluations. Her credentials include: •AKC ACT judge •AKC ATT Temperament testing evaluator •AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator •AKC Fetch judge •AKC Fitness instructor •AKC Tricks evaluator •Therapy dog evaluator with Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs inc. •Representative for Companion Dog Sports Program

Jessica Stier is co-founder and co-captain of Long Island Road Rage Flyball team. She has spent the last 20 years teaching and competing in flyball, and has taught flyball in a variety of venues, including Doggie U K9 Academy in Bayshore, NY. She has been competing in agility since 2004. Long Island Road Rage flyball team was founded in the interet of giving her Whippet mix Mysti (who was extremely ball obsessive) an outlet for her energy. After attending her first camp and discovering the sport of flyball, she was quickly addicted and wanted to get involved, however there was no team located near her. After much help and encouragement from other teams, Jessica and Valerie decided to start their own team. The team was successful, attending its first competition in June of 2006, where all six original dogs earned their first flyball titles. Long Island Road Rage is one of the few teams to be created out of all green (inexperienced) dogs and handlers. Jessica’s all-Americans (mix) Mysti (ONYX) and Bob (FMX) play flyball and agiliry, and her whippet Sprite (FDX) trains in flyball and agility. Jessica can be reached at O?rcaj33@aol.com with any questions regarding flyball and you can check out her team at www.liroardrageflyball.com

Valerie Stier has spent the past 20 years teaching and competing in flyball. One of the “original” CCG staff, she has been competing in agility since 2004. Valerie is co-founder and co-captain of Long Island’s first successful flyball team: Long Island Road Rage. The team currently has three dogs in the top 10 for their brees in flyball. She has trained a variety of breeds – from papilions to bulldogs – to successfully compete in flyball. Using positive training methods and reinforcement, Valerie’s primary focus in training is building the relationship between dog and owner, as all else follows from that. Valerie’s Mini Australian Shepherds Indigo (FMCH) and Dahlia (FDCH-S) compete in flyball and agility and her Australian Kelpie Mac competes in agility and is training for Nosework. Valerie can be reached at Vshadrach@aol.com with any questions regarding flyball, and you can check out the team at www.liroadrageflyball.com.

When you have a high-energy dog, dog sports can help burn off some of that extra energy. When you have two working canines and high-energy Jack Russell Terriers, dog sports become something of a necessity. A busy dog…is a dog who’s not wrecking the house! For upstate New Yorker Dawn Strawn, her passion for dogs and dog sports first led her to attend Canine Camp Getaway as a guest in 2015, where she enjoyed participating in a wide variety of sports, from agility to Flyball. She joined the staff in 2016, and has been a valued team member ever since. Already active in Earth Dog, she spent much of her first camp helping introduce staff and campers to the sport. Soon after, she began taking classes and competing in barn hunt – and her dogs excelled at the sport. Currently her Dutch Shepherd Hoax has earned his RATCH in barn hunt, has been invited three times to attend AKCs Fast Cat Invitational and is one of the country’s top ranking dock diving Dutchies, with personal bests well over 28 feet. Cool Beans, her rescue Jack Russell, has also made his mark on dock diving, being the first light weight to compete in Catch It at Ultimate Air Games 2024 in Lebanon, TN. Clurichaun (Blu Dog Clu), her youngest and biggest working dog, is a two-year-old year old Belgian malinois who loves Happy Ratters and barn hunt. However, he truly excels at dock diving, and brought home a first place win in Fetch It, being the only dog in his category not to have a single miss during finals. All in all, Dawn’s boys brought home seven awards in the Top 10 from Ultimate Air Games in 2024. Dawn travels frequently to competitions, and enjoys lure coursing, Flyball, agility, dock diving, parkour and many other dog sports. Her artistic talents also make her a natural for Canine Camp Getaway’s “Barks & Crafts” classes, where she brainstorms creative projects for campers to engage in during their down time, making fun souvenirs to remind them of their camp adventure. In addition to her Jack Russells, she is owned by one Dutch Shepherd, a Windsprite, a malinois and six Barn Hunt rats. Dawn has a very understanding husband who cares for the animals who stay home while she’s at camp. She’s looking forward to introducing her “rat pack” to the new campers and working with guests on barn hunt, dock diving, agility, Barks & Crafts and more!

Susan Scelzi’s love affair with animals began at a very young age. Every year for Christmas and her birthday she would ask for a pony and a dog. Her parents got her a turtle, then a cat. She finally received a dog for seventh birthday (she never did get the pony!). After getting married and owning her first Rhodesian Ridgeback, she has been avidly participating in competitive obedience. Starting as a pooper-scooper in an obedience class, she worked her way through the ranks to trainer and finally owner of Blue Ribbon Dog Training School in Bohemia NY. All of her dogs have titles in obedience, rally obedience, agility, lure coursing, and her new passion: K9 nose work. She is the first CNWI (Certified Nose Work Instructor) on Long Island. Her dog Riki holds the honor of being the first Rhodesian Ridgeback to earn his NW1 and NW3 title in the country. Susan and Riki were beaten to the NW2 title by a team in California who earned their title one week before Susan and Riki. Nose work is opening new doors for people who believed that they could never have fun competing with their dogs. Any dog can participate in this sport – it is not physically strenuous for the handler or dog, but mentally challenging for the dogs, resulting in a tired and happy dog. There is little expense required to participate in the sport, and you can have fun with your dog with some boxes, a parked vehicle, a room indoors and an outdoor area. Home life for Susan includes a husband of 36 years, two grown children, a dog, a new puppy and a cat. She has retired from the VA hospital after 34 years and has taken on dog training full time. For more info on K9 Nose Work and Blue Ribbon Dog Training School please visit: www.blueribbondogschool.com.

Christine Calace is a seasoned Detective with the Chicago Police Department, with over 20 years in law enforcement. Her passion for scent detection led her to explore the world of dog sports, particularly Nose Work, where she trains and competes with her Pomeranians. Christine is dedicated to showcasing that small dogs can be just as driven and competitive as larger breeds, challenging the traditional notion of size in canine sports. An AKC-certified judge in scent work, Christine loves training handlers to better understand their dogs' behavior, especially when working with scent. She enjoys helping people tune into their dog’s instincts and build stronger partnerships, particularly through odor detection. In addition to Nose Work, Christine is passionate about helping owners with fearful or sensitive dogs. Her experience includes working with dogs facing behavioral challenges, such as her own Rat Terrier mix, Aspen, who suffers from global fear. Through patience and creative training methods, Christine successfully trained Aspen in agility, leading her to achieve a MACH title and develop confidence as she runs courses at top speed. Beyond Nose Work, Christine’s dogs hold titles in Fast CAT, CAT, Barn Hunt, Obedience, Rally, and Tricks. She thrives on solving complex behavioral issues and guiding others to find creative solutions tailored to their dogs' unique needs.

Canine Camp Getaway’s head agility instructor Marcia Boxenbaum has been working with dogs for more than two decades. An avid dog sport enthusiast, she frequently competed in agility and rally obedience with her two (now retired) English cocker spaniels: Vegas, her performance dog (also a certified Therapy Dog), and Snickers, her Grand Champion show dog. Marcia began her agility career in 1999 with Oliver, her American Cocker Spaniel in hopes of reducing his anxiety problems. Bitten by the agility bug, Marcia and Oliver continued agility classes and began competing in 2003. Having found her passion, she began studying agility under top trainers from all over the East Coast. Before long, she was working as an assistant agility teacher at Best Friend’s Dog Training, where she spent several years learning the “teaching ropes.” Marcia has taught numerous classes in agility, rally, attention training and obedience. In agility, she has competed in AKC, USDAA, NADAC and CPE, and has competed in rally obedience in AKC and APDT. She and Snickers earned their CPE “C-ATCH” in agility in 2017 before he retired in 2018 due to an injury. In addition to her training on the field, she continues to attend a variety of agility, obedience and other dog related seminars from top instructors. She attends dozens of dog events, shows and competitions annually, and has spoken at various dog shows and events in the tri-state area including the NJ-based Fido’s Festival USA, which drew 10,000+ people. She volunteers teaching an obedience class for the 4-H in hopes that she can introduce more young people to the sport. She is an AKC CGC evaluator, Tricks evaluator and Temperament evaluator, and an Agility Course Test evaluator. But while dog sports are her milieu, Marcia is equally well known for her home made dessert creations, which run the gamut from intricately designed chocolate agility courses and other edible dog-themed centerpieces to homemade peanut butter cups and rugalach, and which are star attractions at the parties and dog competitions she attends. In recent years, she began making equally delicious dog treats for her own extremely food-motivated dogs, as well as their canine friends, with a focus on healthy treats that allow her to keep her Grand Champion at his ideal weight. When she’s not competing in the ring, she enjoys spending weekend trying out new dog treat recipes, with her faithful “taste testers” by her side.

Bob has been leading hikes and working the lure coursing field since the first camp in 2009, and he believes that these are two of the best activities at camp. Since guests don’t have to teach dogs to walk or chase, these activities are stress free for both dogs and owners, allpwing everyone to relax and just enjoy being with their dogs. “I love watchding dogs where they have a certain freedom to just be themselves. Only then can you understand the attributes that make them such great companions. Watchding dogs romp along the rails energizes our hikers, and a little morning exercise helps both humans and canines get ready for a full day of activities, while enjoying the scenic beauty of the Adirondacks.” An avid runner who has participated in numerous races, Bob loves to explore new places and trails, and he finds canine companionship makes any trip more of an adventure. He particularly admires the way hiking comes naturally to dogs, regardless of age, breed or background. “Going on hikes, we get to see dogs in familiar environments for them. It may not be common for us, but the dogs know exactly what they are supposed to do. They take to it right away, regardless of size. They know instinctively how to navigate around and through rocky terrain or maneuver on muddy trails while we have to think about it. Even if your dog has been brought up in an urban environment, they know.” Bob discovered lure coursing more than a decade ago and immediately fell in love with the way it gives dogs the chance to cut loose without reprisal. “Think about it: Normally your dog would be in trouble for giving chase to another animal or object. But on the lure coursing field, it’s not only allowed, it’s encouraged. Once they understand that it’s okay for them to give chase on the field, many of them can’t get enough of it.” Along the same lines, Bob instituted a flirt pole class in 2018, encouraging the dogs to enjoy burning off some energy and playing training games through the use of the irresistible flirt pole. He also teaches Parkour at camp. Bob’s long-time black lab friend Shadow recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but he’s convinced she continues to “shadow” him as they hike their favorite trails.

A Connecticut native, Tina Biello is a retired Police Officer who teaches swimming, dock diving, intro to K9 disc and in-home foundation skills and problem solving for dogs. She began working with dogs at a very young age because her father raised beagles for rabbit hunting, a tradition he brought with him from his native Italy. She used to help him train the beagles to scent, and was fascinated by it. Although she always loved dogs, she didn’t begin actively studying canine behavior until years later when she was injured on duty, requiring multiple surgeries and long-term rehabilitation. Working with dogs helped to fill the void caused by her sudden retirement, and her healing was assisted by her own two dogs, who are an essential part of her life. Tina’s specialty is working breeds, and she loves teaching dogs to swim properly by engaging their core and rear muscles rather than relying solely on a life jacket. She teaches with positive reinforcement, focusing on important life skills such as loose leash walking, perimeter training, no jumping, leave it, being respectful in the house and not destroying things in the home (including toys), all of which equals a balanced, respectful dog. She believes in “teaching” instead of “training,” as she sees the former as a phrase that connects with dog owners and helps to create a better relationship between human and canine. Over the past 10 years, she has been blessed to have earned the trust of many different breeds of dogs and their owners, and has learned from every dog she’s worked with. Currently, she has two Cane Corsos, RoxieStar and Zhazzy, who are her life, love and sanity! She and her dogs are highly accomplished in dock diving and play “UpDog Challenge” disc at highly competitive levels. Additionally, she is a member of The Canine Stars Stunt Dog Team, performing at shows all over the U.S. Most recently, she and RoxieStar appeared as part of The Canine Stars team on Season 16 of “America’s Got Talent.”

Regina Conti has a passion for agility. She spends most of her weekends competing in various venues; in CPE, she has earned multiple C-ATCH titles and a C-ATE title, and has competed in Nationals multiple times; she also competes in USDAA where she earned her PTCH and PTCH Bronze. Her love of the sport inspires her teaching, and she currently teaches both agility classes and handling skills, working with students from beginner to advanced. A versatile instructor, she also teaches beginner obedience and puppy classes. With four high-energy rescue dogs, she is active in multiple dog sports, including agility, barn hunt, FastCAT, Rally and Dock Diving, and she has performed in shows and demos. Two of her dogs, Willow and Fenway, are certified Therapy Dogs, and her dogs have earned their CGC, CGCA, CGCU and various tricks titles. Regina maintains that her favorite breed is “rescue,” explaining, “I always feel like giving an unwanted pet a chance to thrive and have the best life.” In addition to her four dogs, she has two cats who she says happily run her house.

Terri Yezzi has had a love for animals for as long as she can remember. By age 12, she knew all 150 AKC breeds by heart (there were only that many at the time). She dreamed of being a veterinarian, and in her junior year of high school, she took BOCES classes for small animal care, which led her to joining the FFA and winning 3rd Place overall and 1st Place in the Grooming section in New York State. Her senior year of high school, she decided to apply for a job a local mom and pop pet store that sold puppies. Here, she was in charge of feeding, giving fresh water, cleaning cages, administering daily medications and socializing the puppies. She applied to college at SUNY Delhi and enter into the Veterinary Science Program, but quickly realized that caring for sick animals was not the career she was looking for. Her life’s mission was to make animals (dogs specifically) happy and healthy, and in her early 20’s she had a multitude of animal-related jobs, jumping between grooming and training careers. She started out grooming for a mobile grooming company, then went to a big box store as a trainer, eventually moving to a mom and pop store that better fit her values, continuing with her grooming and training work. She began competing in dog sports, and for more than a decade, was active teaching, performing and competing in frisbee freestyle, agility and flyball. She also performed with her dogs at various expos including the Long Island Pet Expo, Long Island Pet Expo in the Park, Mustang Day at the Holtsville Ecology Center and the Bar Association Fundraiser. Now in her 30s, she and her dogs enjoy scent work, dock diving, UpDog, Agility Speedway and competing in Extreme Creative Grooming.

Mechelle Chojecki teaches Vinyasa Yoga (RYT) in Saratoga Springs, NY, where she has worked as a sculptural artist since she relocated from New York City in 2003. Her daily yoga practice fortifies her hands and mind for creating art and her heart for nurturing her dogs, Maple (who passed away in 2017, but remains ever close to her heart), Milo and Fig. Mechelle began teaching DOGA classes at Canine Camp Getaway in 2015, where her early morning meditations quickly won over both human and canine guests. Since then, her audience of yoginis and doginis has grown by leaps and bounds. Mechelle cultivates mindfulness, compassion and gratitude through her practice and she strives to share her knowledge with all beings, especially with those whose access to moving meditation may be limited.

Since 1999, Keri Caraher has been a dog trainer and world-class competitor in sports ranging from agility and flyball to dock diving and disc dog. After graduating college, she got her first dog, a Great Dane named Morgan. The vet clinic where she worked had a public agility course, and she was instantly hooked; she spent the next decade competing in agility and flyball, where Morgan became famous as the most athletic and titled Great Dane in the history of the breed. Although she has a fierce love of the Great Dane breed, she fell in love with rescues while going to a shelter with a friend who was adopting a dog to join their flyball team. Her friend got the dog, and Keri came home with Kaya, a rescue mix who she still believes was “the greatest all-around athlete of all time.” She has been passionate about rescue ever since. In 2012, she founded The Canine Stars, a group that produces high-quality traveling stunt dog shows while also promoting rescue and dog adoption. With her partner, Ethan, and their 14 dogs, she and her group tour North America performing at fairs, festivals, pet expos, theme parks, zoos, TV shows and professional half-time shows, including the Special Olympics opening ceremony at Illinois State University, Calgary Stampede in Canada, the Alaska State Fair and Expo Can Mexico. Most recently, in 2021 she performed with The Canine Stars on Season 16 of America’s Got Talent, advancing to the Quarter Finals. During the pandemic, when live events were largely at a standstill, she repurposed the RV they traveled in to various events to transport dog food donations to shelters in need and rescue dogs to their new homes. She also developed an online dog training school, including a youth mentorship program for young dog-trainers-in-the-making. When she’s not traveling with her dogs or performing in shows, she loves Starbucks, the Supernatural Oculus Quest Fitness app and fabricating custom kennels.

Samantha Sciolino has been a passionate dog owner for 15 years. A lifelong animal enthusiast, she has dedicated over 20 years of her life to dog rescue. Her journey with dogs began when she adopted my first puppy as a college junior, and her commitment to their welfare has only grown since then. For the past five years, Sam has actively participated in various dog sports with her pack of nine dogs, five of whom are involved in a range of sports and activities, including dock diving, barn hunt, scent work, Frisbee, and FastCAT, as well as some lesser-known activities like wall climbing and weight pull. Her Belgian Malinois, Jameson, has won numerous dock diving competitions, and was the 2023/2024 UAG national Catch It champion. He won first place in the highest (Premier) division at the 2024 Westminster Dock Diving Competition, and was the AKC FastCAT’s 2023 fastest Malinois in the country (and 7th fastest dog overall). A certified therapy dog who frequently accompanies her to work, Jameson has his Novice Trick Dog masters and RatS titles. Her Malinois Astrid was a 2024 top 25 masters level barn hunt dog as well as the number 3 masters level barn hunt dog in New York. She has her RatM, RatchX and Platinum silver barn hunt titles and claims a 10.5 foot personal best grab in wall climb. Her dutch shepherd, Trissy, was the number one dutchie in the USA for Masters level barnhunt. Trissy has her Bcat title and earned a Top 5 finish at the 2024 National Fetch-It competition. In her professional life, Sam is the principal of a preschool for special needs students in New York. She leads a remarkable program that provides essential support to students across multiple counties and school districts. She holds a firm belief that, with determination, children can achieve their aspirations, and she holds the same conviction for dogs and their owners. If there is a new activity you'd like to explore with your dog, she would love to help encourage you to pursue it; you may find wonderful opportunities awaiting you!

Kris Fletcher has been involved with purebred dogs for over 25 years, starting with Great Danes and then falling in love with the Lowchen breed. She is a member of the Genesee Valley Kennel Club where she is currently the treasurer, secretary for their yearly Barn Hunt Association trials and Rat Hunting Chair for the club. She conducts regular rat practice sessions in her barn for the kennel club. She has retired from showing/breeding dogs and is now working as an AKC dog show steward, and has been stewarding a variety of shows in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Additionally, she teaches and has finished titles in both competition obedience and rally.

Nancy Andrysiak is a multifaceted dog groomer who is passionate about helping dogs to look and feel their best. While professional grooming is essential for many dogs, she also knows that there are times when getting to a groomer isn’t possible – like during the recent lockdown due to COVID. For this reason, she offers campers grooming tricks and tips that they can practice at home to keep their dogs looking their best between grooming visits. When she’s not taking care of her clients’ dogs, she and her papillons are active in agility, where she has spent many years competing in various venues, earning numerous MACHS on her various papillons. She is also skilled in tracking, having trained under Diane Bauman in Tennessee, and her dogs have advanced tricks titles. Nancy loves introducing newcomers to agility and tracking, as well as helping to teach both old and young dogs some new tricks. And, of course, she helps to make them look fabulous, whatever they are doing!