Lisa Berkenstock BS, CVT, CPDT-KA
Lisa Berkenstock, owner of My Pet's Teacher, is an animal professional with over 30 years of professional experience. She holds a BS in biology from Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture, and is also a licensed veterinary technician. She has also taken courses at Purdue University in the diagnosis and treatment of animals with behavior problems, and principles and techniques of behavior modification for domestic pets. She has worked both as a humane educator for the PSPCA and also at the Philadelphia Zoo. Lisa is affiliated with the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians (SVBT) and is a state representative for them. She is also an adjunct professor at Manor College, teaching a “Breeds and Behavior” class where she educates the next generation of veterinary technicians.
Lisa is skilled in behavior modification and training for both canines and felines. She continues professional development regularly, and enjoys learning as much as she can about the species with which she works. Lisa is committed to improving the relationship between people and their pets and educating the public on animal-friendly methods. Lisa and her husband and five children share their home with a menagerie of rescue animals. She is an expert in managing a multi-pet household, and is extremely knowledgeable about the relationships and interactions between people and their pets. |
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Dana Ebbecke, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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Dana Ebbecke is a certified professional dog trainer. She began her journey into dog training thanks to a very eccentric rescue pooch. A lifelong lover of all things animal, she started volunteering with a dog rescue during high school and continues to advocate and volunteer for homeless pets still. She graduated with a BA in psychological and social sciences from Penn State University. She is a master’s candidate in psychology with a concentration in animal behavior at Hunter College and also has a certificate in applied behavior analysis from Arcadia University. She is currently working on her master’s thesis which focuses on behavior evaluations of dogs.
Dana enjoys learning and continues to work regularly on professional development. Her interest in animals and animal training extends to horses and exotic animals, as well as dogs. She has trained a number of species of animals, including: dogs, birds, horses, and guinea pigs. She attends continuing education events regularly. Dana is knowledgeable about bully breeds and advocates for education about Pit Bulls and other bully breed dogs. |
Krista Davis, CVT, CPDT-KA
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Krista is a certified veterinary technician and certified professional dog trainer. She developed a love for animal behavior and training while working at a guide dog training school in New York. While attending school to become a veterinary technician, Krista saw the importance of supporting behavioral health as well as physical health. With her training in animal behavior, Krista hopes to build and strengthen the human-animal bond and provide support when it is needed in those relationships. She teaches classes and does private training sessions. She shares her home with her husband, young daughters Ellie and Amelia, a boxer mix named Harvey, and a cat named Pickles.
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Laura Sestito, CVT, CPDT-KA
Laura found a love for animal behavior during her studies in the Vet Tech program at Manor College. She now works at Penn Vet as a Certified Vet Tech and Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She is also a Level 1 graduate of Pat Miller's "Peaceable Paws" dog training program. With My Pet’s Teacher, Laura teaches group classes and sees private cases. Laura enjoys getting to know dogs and their humans and aims to utilize positive dog training to help them build strong (and loving!) relationships. At home, she lives with her husband and their sweet senior Yellow Labrador Retriever, Miller.
Erin Hamilton
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Erin is currently in Purdue's Veterinary Nursing Program. She works at a local general practice veterinary hospital as a technician. In the summer of 2021, Erin started shadowing our puppy classes and soon after fell in love with canine behavior and training. Although Erin has a passion for dogs, she does not have any at home! She shares her home with three adorable ferrets, Chip, Niala, and Finlay. Erin teaches puppy kindergarten and does private training sessions.
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Taylor Welch
Taylor graduated from Penn State with a Bachelors degree in Animal Science in 2020. While there, she gained hands on behavioral experience with a wide variety of animals including companion animals, exotics, horses, and cows. She is currently working as a surgical technician at a small animal veterinary hospital with the ultimate goal of becoming a veterinarian. She has always had a passion for animals and their well-being but found a love for animal behavior during her time as a technician and rescue volunteer. At home, Taylor lives with her adorable rescue dog, Juju. Taylor teaches puppy kindergarten classes and is also available for private training sessions.
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Beth Ann Rodgers, CCDT
Beth Ann Rodgers has been a middle school teacher for the last 25 years. As a life-long dog lover, she became involved in rescue. Over the last 10 years she has worked with hundreds of pups through training and fostering. Her passion to have pups find and keep their forever homes led her to study to be a professional dog trainer. Beth Ann is a CCDT and a certified tester/observer for the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Her latest rescue, Mason, is now a certified therapy dog and gets to accompany her to school to work with her students. Beth Ann has two grown children and lives with her husband and their four dogs.