My mother was instrumental in developing my love and interest in animals. Growing up, we always had a houseful of various critters such as cats, dogs, ducks, parakeets, turtles, and guinea pigs just to name a few. I was always drawn to animals and spent a lot of time not only caring for them but trying to figure them out. After i graduated high school I enlisted in the USAF during Desert Shield/ Desert Storm 1992-1996 and served as a combat medic. I continued my education while there and went to EMT Intermediate and Paramedic school. During this time I also became a CPR Instructor Trainer and an ACLS Instructor (AHA). I worked 911 EMS response while going to nursing school and graduated in 2000 becoming a registered nurse. I worked twelve years in Labor & Delivery, four years in ICU and have recently moved to the Emergency Department. The great thing about nursing is that you can always learn something new! Change is scary to some but I believe it is essential to personal and professional growth. Lifelong learning is more than just a buzzword for me, it is a way of life! Needless to say, the last twenty-six plus years of my life have been primarily dedicated to taking care of people. However, I began to recognize and could no longer ignore the impact that animals have on our well-being. I have been actively studying the training of dogs utilizing positive reinforcement techniques for the last seven years and in 2013 graduated as a certified pet dog trainer from Animal Behavior College. After completing my mentorship and internship with Mutts With Manners, I joined them as their business partner. Fortunate for me, my business partners have extremely varied backgrounds in the zoo and aquarium industries so I have a wealth of knowledge to draw from. One partner is the past president of the ABMA and is the training coordinator for Greater Houston Search Dogs. My other partner mentors dog training students through both Animal Behavior College and Catch Canine Academy. We are all full members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and adhere to mission their statement LIMA. Recently we have added a pet sitting & dog walking component and an online animal training supplies store to our business and we are only just beginning to grow! Right now, my pack consists of three dogs: Spanky, Darla, and Bunny, plus a talking Nanday conure named Rasta. I also have an African sideneck turtle, Geoffrey and an ornate box turtle named Murtle. OH. And Randi, the blue-tongued skink! I am a Pet Partner's Therapy Animal Program Instructor and my dog Darla and I are a registered Pet Partner's therapy animal team and volunteer regularly at many different places. Also, I am an AKC STAR puppy, Canine Good Citizen, Trick Dog, Therapy Dog Instructor & Evaluator. The reason I became a Pet Tech Pet CPR and First Aid Instructor is because I think it is crucial this information is accessible to everyone and that people are comfortable and confident performing these skills in emergent situations! Our animals enrich our lives in so many ways, we owe it to them to take the best care of them so that they have the healthiest and happiest life possible. And certainly in the event of an emergency we want to make sure that we do everything we can to ensure they have the best outcome. I am also a Presenter for "Stop the 77" which is a program to teach pre-schooler's and school-aged children how to interact with dogs safely and appropriately to prevent dog bites. SAFE KIDS = HAPPY DOGS!! Recently I joined pawTree as a Independent petPro because as a nurse (who is getting older) who has three dogs (who are also getting older) I absolutely cannot ignore the importance and value of high quality, holistic nutrition & supplements. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to working with you ---- Laura . *LEARN*TRAIN*EMPOWER* -- ww.CoastalCanineCPR.com --www.MuttsWithManners.com --www.MyTrainingStore.com --