Meet the writers who love dogs just as much as you do

Janet Wall

Janet Wall was the original founder of Love Your Dog.  She gave the website the base it has today, and has many years experience in handling and training dogs, which is detailed below.  Jan will continue contributing to the site when her schedule permits.

Jan grew up in Southfield, Michigan, with two brothers and a sister. When Jan was two years old her parents took in a collie named Laddie. During her childhood the family also had a fox terrier, a dachshund, and a German shepherd.

Through Jan’s teenage years she studied all she could about dogs, their care, and training. She loved reading books about dogs, especially Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight, and the Lad a Dog series by Albert Payson Terhune. Jan joined dog clubs and her collies won ribbons at dog shows.

After High School Jan went to Eastern Michigan University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and her Teaching Credential. She began teaching in Michigan Public Schools in 1974, the first nine years with hearing-impaired students. Jan was awarded a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education at Western Michigan University in 1980.

Collies remained Jan’s passion and she enjoyed competing in AKC competition. She trained, Duke, Star, and Brandi for obedience trials. She conducted dog obedience classes for children and adults.

Jan moved to San Diego, California, in 1982 and received a Communication Handicap Specialist Credential from San Diego State University, and her Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential for California Public Schools. Jan continued teaching special and general education, kindergarten through sixth grade, in Chula Vista, California.

In 1985 Jan designed a Humane Education Program to teach kindness and responsibility to children. She developed a lesson series using dogs as the theme and, along with her collies, Trouper and Kelly, Jan taught the lessons at schools in Chula Vista, CA. Later, Jan would adapt her Humane Education Program for the Internet and create the website, How to Love Your Dog.

Besides her professional work, Jan served as a volunteer puppy trainer for Canine Companions for Independence. She promoted pet food drives for Animeals. Jan joined Therapy Dogs International in 1988 and began regular therapy dog work with Trouper, in health facilities for severely handicapped children and Alzheimer’s patients.

Jan joined the volunteer staff at Alvarado Hospital in 1991. Along with Trouper and Kelly, her second therapy dog, she visited stroke and brain-injured patients.

Jan took leave from the school district in 1998. She found a partial replacement for her love of teaching in the creation of this website. How to Love Your Dog was based on Jan’s original Humane Education Program. In 2003 Jan launched a second website as a resource for therapy dog owners, Therapy Dogs.Net.

Until the spring of 2006 Jan volunteered at Kaiser Hospital in the pediatric oncology department. Cody and Bailey, Jan’s registered therapy dogs, provided comfort and friendship to children receiving chemotherapy treatments.

Jan also was responsible for the orientation of new therapy dogs and their handlers at Alvarado Hospital. Currently, she enjoys her hobbies: dog agility, gardening, and photography.

Some of her content has been updated and revised over the last 6 months, but we’ve strived to keep the original theme of LoveYourDog.com intact.

Emma Braby

Emma Braby is a writer with experience in blogging, copywriting and ghost-writing. She left her almost decade-long job as a Police Officer in the UK for a better life travelling around Europe. Her time as a Police Officer was spent in the Investigation Unit interviewing witnesses and suspects, as well as writing complex crime files for the Crown Prosecution Service. She currently travels with the love of her life, Bonkers her rescue dog, whilst her husband Matt tags along.

Emma enjoys writing about all thing’s dog, travelling and health and wellbeing. Her hobbies include taking an obscene amount of selfies with Bonkers, and all the other dogs that she is lucky enough to look after along her travels, as well as long walkies in the forest and embroidery.

She has vast experience of looking after all kinds of dog breeds with their different personalities, due to her many years of experience as both a professional dog sitter and as a volunteer in her local dog shelters.

Emma’s long-term plans are to fine-tune her successful writing career, to keep travelling until she finds somewhere to settle down, have some little humans and rescue as many dogs as her back yard will allow.

Emma is one of our featured writers who contributes regularly to LoveYourDog.com.

Joanna Woodnutt

Dr. Joanna Woodnutt MRCVS is a qualified veterinarian working in the UK. She has a passion for educating owners to help them understand their pets: she believes that knowing why something happens, how drugs work, and even when to worry helps owners to feel more confident in caring for their dogs.  Jo is one of our featured vets here at Love Your Dog.

At school Jo was one of those students who didn’t know what they wanted to do. She loved science, but wanted to be an author, too! Luckily, common sense prevailed and she decided to pursue the sciences in the hope of a simpler career path.

Jo graduated from the University of Nottingham and holds a degree in Veterinary Science (BVMedSci) and a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVM BVS). After graduating, she worked in companion animal practice in the UK for several years, dealing with patients young and old.

She found a love of consulting, and particularly loved it when a complex concept needed to be explained to an owner- but she could only help one owner at a time. Thanks to an old school friend, Jo was thrust back into the world of writing and realised she could combine her two loves after all and help more people understand their pets!

Jo now works as a vet two days a week in a large companion animal practice. The rest of the time she spends writing about animals for websites and magazines, continuing her work of helping owners to better understand their pets. Her rescue terrier, Pixie, can often be found on her lap when she’s writing- she makes a great hot water bottle!”

Amber LaRock

My name is Amber LaRock. I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) with an A.A.S in veterinary technology. I’ve taken my career online to spread knowledge on animal welfare, as far and often as I can! I grew up with a deep passion for helping animals and knew that it was my life’s purpose. After gaining my degree in veterinary technology along with my license, I began work in an emergency animal hospital.

With the experience I gained from my time in the hospital, I have been able to travel the world, offering my services to as many animal rescues as I can find. If I am not at my laptop, or back home visiting family, you can find me somewhere in the world, cuddling every furry friend that I can find!

Shannon Maguire

Shannon Maguire is a seasoned traveler, reader, animal lover, rescue advocate, and dog mom. Her zest for life and its adventures has always contributed to a deep passion for storytelling. This love of storytelling became intertwined with her love of dogs during the slow summer walks of her childhood with her beloved Golden Retriever named Guinness. As an adult, the special bond she shared with Guinness shines through in all facets of her writing and her life.

Shannon is a Content Creator for Pet Industry websites and businesses. She is a passionate rescue advocate and has fostered many dogs from local shelters. She is a part-time dog sitter and a full-time dog lover. Shannon resides in Los Angeles with her two rescues, a 10-pound spaniel mix named Boots and a 100-pound Great Dane/Lab mix named Bear. This oddly sized pair informs much of her writing. If you’d like to keep up with Boots and Bear’s many adventures, please check out Shannon’s personal blog at Doggo Dance.

Gemma Johnstone

Gemma is a freelance writer and official dog nut.  With 15 years of experience in the Pet Industry, she is a passionate animal welfare advocate and enjoys furthering her dog-related knowledge.   Gemma has worked for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ran her own specialist dog shop for ten years.

Gemma has also volunteered for her local rescue shelter, and is studying towards completing an Advanced Diploma in Canine Behaviour. Gemma is currently traveling around Europe with her wonderful rescue dog, Annie.

Kristin Hitchcock

Kristin Hitchcock has loved pets since she was a child. She grew up in Tenessee and continues to live there today with her husband and young daughter. She currently has a multitude of pets, including four dogs, three cats, two fish, and three lizards.

She is passionate about helping pet parents make informed, educated decisions and increasing awareness on little-known pet topics. She loves helping owners stay up-to-date on current scientific information as well as giving practical advice on all things pet.

Ellen Marcinkiewicz

Ellen Marcinkiewicz BVSc. MRCVS, graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2012. She’s since worked as a small animal veterinarian in her home country of Australia, as well as at the Massey University Teaching Hospital in New Zealand. Her most memorable experience as a teaching vet was running a charity spay/neuter program for final year vet students in Samoa.

Her love of traveling the world has now led her to the UK, where she currently works as a veterinarian and freelance veterinary writer based in Somerset.

Ellen is passionate about education and all things pet health including surgery, medicine, behavior, and nutrition. In her free time, Ellen enjoys hiking, travel, yoga, and modern calligraphy.

Rebecca MacMillan

Rebecca MacMillan VetMed MRCVS is a companion animal veterinarian and surgeon who has always had a passion for writing and client communication. Since her graduation from England’s Royal Veterinary college in 2009, she has gained a wealth of experience in first opinion small animal practice, in both clinical and managerial roles.

Rebecca currently works in the South West of England and deals with a variety of routine and emergency appointments, but particularly enjoys medicine cases. Outside of work and writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her bouncy flat-coated retriever George!