As a child, Christie’s first “favorite animal in the world” was dogs and it has stayed the same ever since! She had a canine sticker book journal where she could record and track every dog she ever met until she achieved her goal of meeting every dog breed and type in existence.
She attended Virginia Tech and received her Bachelor’s in Animal Science with a focus in companion animal care and animal behavior. She had the opportunity to work closely with all kinds of livestock and companion animals, including horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, and more! The lifelong love for dogs eventually pulled her focus to dog training entirely and she became the dog training program creator and director for a pet resort chain in Southern California. While there, she had the wonderful privilege of dog training at all their locations and working with literally thousands of dogs over the span of 6 years!
After moving back to Texas to be closer to family, she worked at the MD Anderson Cancer Research Center in Bastrop at the Primate Research Facility. Her role as Neotropical Behavior, Training, and Enrichment Technician was an incredible opportunity to work extensively with squirrel monkeys, owl monkeys, and marmosets. She built habitats, created enrichment devices/games/toys, and literally trained monkeys! One of her favorite activities to share with the squirrel monkeys was finger-painting and she proudly displays their unique artwork in her home.
She is incredibly excited to work at Suburban K9 and put her lifetime of experiences in animal care, behavior, and training to use and share her passion with others and their pups!