Meredith was recently appointed by The Board Of Commissioners to the Animal Control Hearing Board of Fulton County.
She will serve the City of Atlanta and Fulton County as a professional
expert, who will render advisory opinions involving pets that have been
declared dangerous or potentially dangerous by an animal control
officer.
Meredith is an
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy evaluator and an
AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator and
Associate Nose Work Instructor(tm). She is a canine obedience trainer and an aggression management specialist. Meredith is a creative problem-solver who works with dogs with severe behavior disorders (e.g. phobias, separation anxiety, and aggression). Meredith has extensive experience working with a diversity of breeds in a variety of environments. Meredith regularly conducts behavior evaluations of shelter dogs for rescue groups and local animal control agencies. She has rehabilitated abused and aggressive dogs, worked with special needs dogs, and has handled dogs in the confirmation ring. Meredith is responsible for creating the Glenwood Green Dog Park, a safe and sustainable facility for off-leash, supervised socialization for dogs and humans alike. Meredith has experience as the Event and Fund-raising Coordinator for a non-profit 501(c)(3), no kill, rescue group whose main focus is to save high-risk animals from life on the streets, shelters and gas chambers. She has been a guest on the Animal Hour/1620 a.m. radio, has hosted interviews on WSB radio and Q-100. She has also appeared on Channel 2 and 11 speaking about the plight of homeless pets in Metro-Atlanta.
She was also featured on CBS Atlanta's
morning show, Better Mornings Atlanta.
Meredith has worked with celebrity dog trainer,
Victoria Stillwell and has appeared on the show,
Its Me Or The Dog. Meredith has appeared on the cover of the
Atlanta Journal Constitution with her Jack Russell Terrier, Bullet. She has lectured at the Howard School and Canby Lane Elementary School as a pet expert. For the past four years, Meredith has worked with the
District Attorney of Dekalb County to develop
PAWS FOR THE CAUSE, an event focused on creating awareness for the abused and neglected animals of Dekalb County. Meredith continues to play an active role in animal advocacy, fund raising, and training for various animal welfare organizations in Atlanta. She has personally placed 250+ dogs in responsible, loving homes over the past 5 years.
Meredith's dogs participate in nose work, rally obedience, toss and fetch (disc dog), flyball, agility, steeple chase racing, lure coursing, go-to-ground, super-earth, barn and brush hunting.
In 2011, Bullet was invited to race at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge. Bullet has earned multiple titles, including "champion" in barn hunt, go-to-ground, super earth and lure coursing. She is the first dog in the United States to earn gold, silver and bronze metals in rally working trials.
Meredith is
Pet Tech certified in CPR and First Aid.
Betty Emrey, CPDT-KA began the journey into dog training through volunteer work at the ASPCA in New York City. Over five years there, she walked shelter dogs, taught other volunteers how to walk shelter dogs, introduced dogs to potential adopters, and apprenticed as a trainer.
After coming back home to Atlanta Betty began offering a variety of group classes, including basic obedience and puppy kindergarten as well as in-home training and consultations. Betty is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed, having successfully completed the training requirements of The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.
In addition to teaching, Betty also volunteers at the Atlanta Humane Society in adoptions and with the Paws 2 Teach shelter dog classes. She has competed in both Agility and Rally Obedience, but it’s her work with shelter dogs that inspires her as a trainer. So many great dogs wind up in shelters because of behaviors that could have been avoided or fixed with proper training. Her goal is to help dogs and their people stay together. Betty lives with three rescue dogs: a chihuahua from NYC, a rough coat collie from NOLA, and a black and white mix from the streets of Decatur. Betty serves on the Member Relations Committee of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a member of the Georgia Dog Trainer Forum and the Atlanta Rally Club.
Mara Whitacre, CPDT-KA, VSPDT has been involved in the field of animal training for 7 years. She started studying positive reinforcement training as a zoo keeper and educator for Zoo Atlanta.
When Mara left Zoo Atlanta, she decided to focus on dogs because there is such a great need for positive training for owners and their canine companions. In 2008, Mara became an independent contractor and started Atlanta Dog All Stars, LLC. Working with various trainers in the Atlanta area, Mara continues to train using the principles of positive reinforcement in private and group lessons. She has worked with various breeds of dogs and their owners in basic obedience, behavioral issues, and agility.
Along with working with dog owners and their dogs, Mara also enjoys working with shelter dogs. Mara is a Volunteer Dog Trainer for Atlanta Pet Rescue and Adoption. At Atlanta Pet Rescue and Adoption (APRA), she started the Atlanta Pet Rescue and Adoption Training Team. In 2011, Mara was awarded by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and Premier Pet Products for Shelter Worker of the Year.
For continuing education and professional support, Mara is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), a licensed and certified Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Trainer (VSPDT), and a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.
She is also a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, the Georgia Dog Trainers Forum, and Doggone Safe.
Mara is owned by the ever so sweet, Callie (Golden Retriever from Adopt A Golden) and the highly opinionated, Ming (Shih Tzu) from Atlanta Pet Rescue and Adoption.
Richard Fischhof, M.Ed., CPDT-KA, CTC Richard is a twice-certified dog trainer and honors graduate of the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers,
considered to be the 'Harvard' for dog trainers and behavior
counselors, where he earned his Certification in Training &
Counseling. The Academy was led by Jean Donaldson, renowned author,
teacher and trainer.
In addition, he is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed by the The Certification Council For Professional Dog Trainers. Richard is also an AKC® Canine Good Citizen Evaluator®.
He participated in Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine’s
Principles & Techniques of Behavior Modification Course. He earned
his masters degree in education at Georgia State University.
Recommended
by veterinarians and fellow trainers alike, Richard's training methods
are non-aversive, positive reinforcement based on behavior modification
and the science of how dogs learn. These techniques give dog owners
the skill and knowledge to enjoy a long, satisfying relationship with
their canine companions.
He
has worked with hundreds of dogs and all breeds, and tailors individual
training programs to clients and their dogs' specific needs. In
addition to individual in-home training, he conducts Puppy Kindergarten
and Basic Manners classes.
Originally from Philadelphia, Richard lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Barbara, and poodle Rocky.
