Teresa is a hard-working, fun-loving, science-based CPDT-KA certified dog/cat trainer with 20 years of animal experience. Starting as a dog bather in her hometown of Hudson, OH, to a meteorology degree from St Louis University, to doggie daycares and pet sitting companies from St Louis to Nashville, she decided to make her passion for dogs into a career. She moved to Texas and completed a comprehensive dog training course with her German Shepherd mix Binx as her perfect companion and student. After training at Dog School Austin for two years, Teresa moved back to Hudson and volunteered with a local Search and Rescue team, earning a SAR Tech II certification before making the cross-country trip with Binx and her cat Archimedes to Portland, OR. She worked as a dog hiking guide leading group adventures and training reactive dogs while getting her Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed certification in 2018. Teresa and her coworker formulated The People’s Pup Collective in February 2020 in hopes of changing the dog industry to a more equal and communal workplace where employees can also be owners. She ran The People’s Pup in Portland for 5 years conducting group adventures, training walks and private lessons, and worked as a contract trainer for Oregon Humane Society teaching puppy classes, manners classes, and cat/kitten classes. In March of 2025, Teresa made the journey back to Akron, Ohio with her dog Phineas and two cats Lancelot and Galahad. Phineas has made great strides in confidence since his rescue from the streets of Mexico, and Lancelot and Galahad have learned a large repertoire of tricks using clicker training. Aside from dog training, Teresa makes homemade ice cream, enjoys local music and beers, runs and does yoga daily, and teaches her cats new skills. She is eternally grateful to her late canine partner Binx, who with her calm and respectful temperament, assisted many dogs in gaining confidence and trust.