The People Behind the Scenes!

Hi there, I’m Jess!

An old photo of Jess with her flock of chickens.

I’ve been in the business of pets for nearly 20 years! My journey started out volunteering as a dog walker for the local animal shelter in my teen years. From there, I started working at PetSmart — first for the store, and then as one of the youngest dog trainers to join the training team. After a few years of working at PetSmart as lead trainer, I moved onto veterinary medicine, working as a tech for a 24/7 emergency clinic that saw everything from dogs and cats to horses and goats!

I also attended Oregon State University, graduating with a degree in Animal Sciences with a focus on small animal behavior, veterinary medicine, and horse and sheep husbandry. Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time volunteering as a behavior consultant for local animal shelters, and using my skills and background in my writing career.

Currently, I work as an editor for a pet media company, and blog and consult in the pet sphere. I’ve spent over a decade writing, researching, and creating a variety of pet content, from product descriptions and reviews to in-depth articles, training and behavior e-books, veterinary care, and more.

I love turning my passion for pets and veterinary medicine into something that can help other pet parents — and I hope you enjoy reading along with me!

Angelo

Angelo is the newest member to the team! Adopted in November 2025, he’s helping to fill the hole in Jess’ heart after the passing of Libby. He’s a Great Pyrenees and Labrador Retriever mix that’s nearing 70 pounds at only 9 months old, and is the sweetest puppy cheerleader! (When he’s not chewing on the rug…)

Chell

Chell is a 13-year-old orange shorthair cat that LOVES getting into mischief! She’s named after a famous video game character (can you guess which?) that shares a similar personality to her. Chell enjoys stalking squirrels from the windows, snoozing on her cat tree, and chasing after a feathery toy. While she pretends to dislike her new little brother, Angelo, she can often be spotted playing a game of tag with him when no one’s looking.