Welcome!
Ever wondered how in the world someone ends up becoming a canine nutritionist, let alone a vegan canine nutritionist? Well, let me take you on a journey through my story – it’s been quite the adventure spanning over a decade!
Imagine this: writing award-winning articles about dog health and nutrition for leading publications, earning a Master of Animal Science degree from Charles Sturt University and helping hundreds of dog “paw-rents” all over the globe improve their dogs’ health using my special recipes. And of course I made the switch from meat-based to whole-food plant-based nutrition for our four-legged pals!
Oh, and I’m a bookworm, too! I’ve written not just one, but three groundbreaking books. My latest one’s called The Plant-Powered Dog: Unleash the healing powers of a whole-food plant-based diet to help your canine companion enjoy a healthier, longer life. It’s the one I’m most proud of because it empowers people who care about their dogs and all animals to have the best of both worlds.
Here’s a brief (but important!) background of my journey:
The soul-dog who started it all
Picture this: I met my furry soulmate, Chase, at a local shelter back in 2002 (In fact, that’s him and me on my homepage slider!). He’d been through a tough time, cooped up for half a year in a concrete run. Because he was a ‘big black dog,’ he’d been overlooked. That was lucky for me, because Chase and I were meant to be together. So, home he came.
However, Chase came home with a bundle of health issues – chronic gastrointestinal troubles, flaky skin and patchy fur, to name a few. He was also sorely underweight. So, off we trundled to the vet, who handed me antibiotics and steroids to “manage” his symptoms. But, I was learning more about improving my own health naturally at that time, and I didn’t want to subject Chase to a lifetime of pharmaceuticals with potentially hazardous long-term effects.
Thus began my journey into canine nutrition.
I delved into books penned by trailblazing vets such as Dr. Richard Pitcairn, who believed in the magic of nutrition. It wasn’t all smooth sailing – loads of trial and error went down, trust me! But with a dash of experimentation, I cooked up a nourishing plan for Chase.
Guess what? It worked wonders! His skin cleared, his fur transformed into a lush coat, and I even bid farewell to his daily diarrhea meds. Not to mention, he filled out to a healthy weight in no time.
Watching Chase’s incredible makeover transformed my life and kickstarted my obsession with nutrition. I knew I wanted to embark on a path of helping other dog “paw-rents” help their best buddies enjoy healthier lives. But, I’m a bit of a nerd (okay, more than a bit), and I believe that if you’re going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk. In other words, I needed to put in the time to get the proper education and credentials to qualify me for helping other dogs. So, back to school I went, spending almost four years earning a Master of Animal Science degree. During this time, I even co-authored a couple of acclaimed dog health and nutrition books (with Dr. Jean Dodds).
Changing my perspective, one paw at a time
As my nutrition career grew, so did my conscience. Chase made me see things differently – not just for dogs but for all living beings. I started with vegetarianism in 2009 and took the life-changing leap to veganism in 2018. This shift was monumental.
I couldn’t ignore the truth anymore: my canine nutrition work was causing harm to animals while I preached compassion in my personal life.
Time for a change, the vegan way
Initially, I thought about walking away from the canine nutrition practice that I loved because I believed the myth that dogs were just mini-wolves craving meat. Then my hubby dropped some life-changing advice: “Do your own research.”
So, that’s what I did! I tracked down researchers, picked the brains of experts and even sent videographers around the world to gather insights. The result? My Plant-Powered Dog Food Summit – the world’s first online vegan dog nutrition summit, which streamed in March 2019.
The big “a-ha” moment
Yep, dogs thrive on well-balanced plant-based diets, but there’s more to it. The defining moment came when I realized that many leading veterinarians and scientists believe the spike in canine chronic illnesses over the past few decades might be linked to high-meat diets.
My solution? Feed them lower on the food chain: plants!
And that, my friends, was my golden moment. In 2018, I did a full 180, shifting overnight from a meat-based nutritionist (eww) to a proud vegan canine nutritionist (woo-hoo!). I promised myself I’d spread the word about the goodness of a solid vegan diet for dogs to as many folks as I could.
Plant-Powered Dog comes to life
My beloved Chase crossed the Rainbow Bridge on July 30, 2018. Even though I miss him terribly, his memory lives on in my heart and his legacy in my work. And guess what? Chase even sent Moo, our wonderful plant-based pup, into our lives in 2019. We adopted him all the way from Vietnam! (Check out his incredible before-and-after pic below.)
So, there you have it – my journey from a dog mom on a quest for better health to a vegan canine nutritionist spreading the love for plant-based goodness. Thanks for listening to my paw-some story!
Check out These Highlights of My Vegan Canine Nutritionist Journey:
2002
I adopted my soul-dog, Chase from our local shelter. As a “big black dog”, Chase had been passed up for adoption for six months. When he finally came to his forever home (me!), he had a LOT of health problems, including severe gastrointestinal issues, itchy skin and underweight. My desire to heal Chase without ongoing prescription medications propelled my interest in canine nutrition. Chase transformed my life: he taught me both about the power of nutrition and opened my heart to the wonders of ALL animals.
2009
As Chase made me more aware about the plight of ALL abused animals, I decided to ditch meat, poultry and fish and become vegetarian. I’m on my way to vegan!
2009
I began a long writing career with Dog Fancy magazine and its affiliates, diving into a variety of dog health and nutrition topics. My first article was on the dangers of over-vaccination, which is when I was first introduced to Dr. Jean Dodds.
2011
From my positive experiences helping Chase and my newfound knowledge researching and writing articles about dog nutrition, I was hooked. I believed in the power of food, and I decided to use my knowledge to help other people and their dogs. So, I officially became a “canine nutritionist”!
2011
I decided that if I was going to grow as a serious canine nutritionist, I wanted to do it right! This meant pursuing an advanced degree. I was so excited to be accepted into the wonderful Animal Sciences program at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, Australia. My journey toward a Master of Animal Science degree begins!
2012
I wrote my first book (co-authored with Dr. Jean Dodds)! The Canine Thyroid Epidemic: Answers You Need for Your Dog was published by Dogwise Publishing. That year, it won two prestigious awards – The Dog Writer’s Association of American (DWAA) Best Care/Health Book of 2012 and the Eukanuba Canine Health Award.
2015
In 2015, “Canine Nutrigenomics: The new science of feeding your dog for optimum health” was published, earning a DWAA nomination for Best Care/Health Book of 2015. As this book came earlier in my dog nutrition evolution, it is not plant-based. However, it represents the beginning of my connection between how food affects animals and people at the deepest level of our genomes and microbiomes, setting the stage for my future research on the topic.
2015
After four intensive years of studying, researching and writing my Master’s Dissertation, I was awarded (and rewarded!) with a Master’s Degree in Animal Science. I am so grateful to everyone at Charles Sturt University who stood by my side along this amazing journey.
2018
I ditched dairy and eggs (yuck!) and became fully vegan for the animals! It was at this time that I decided I could no longer harm any animal for any reason – including feeding dogs. Since I still bought into the myth that dogs were “wolves” who needed meat to be healthy, I wondered whether I would need to walk away from my canine nutrition practice.
2018
As I researched, read and spoke with leading experts (including Professor Andrew Knight and Dr. Richard Pitcairn), I had a wonderful epiphany. Not only can dogs be healthy on nutritionally sound plant-based diets, but this might just be the missing link to optimum health in our canine companions. I didn’t walk away from my business... I promptly switched it from meat-based to plant-based!
2019
I spent a year sending videographers around the world (from Arizona to Australia!) to create The Plant-Powered Dog Food Summit, the first-ever summit to bust through the myths of plant-based vs. meat-based dog nutrition. The summit streamed online in March, 2019, reaching thousands of interested dog guardians.
2019
My husband and I adopted our dog, Moo, from Vietnam. Moo made the long trek across the world to find his perfect loving home, and now he is a happy plant-based pup!
2023
After all the wonderful results with my plant-based canine clients, I knew I wanted to bring the message about the benefits of a nutritionally sound plant-based diet to a larger audience. This meant writing another book! After two-and-a-half years of research and writing, my newest book, “The Plant-Powered Dog: Unleash the healing powers of a whole-food plant-based diet to help your canine companion enjoy a healthier, longer life” debuted in January 2023 as the #1 New Pet Food & Nutrition Book on Amazon! Plant-Powered Dogs ROCK!
2023
Since 2018, I have seen amazing results helping dogs prevent, manage and even reverse a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases. I’m so excited to continue helping my canine clients (such as Kingston, pictured) achieve optimum health, while helping improve the lives of ALL animals and our environment. I couldn’t ask for more!
Looking for a Healthy Dog and a Better World for All
I remember feeling just like you when I started my journey with Chase in 2002. Back then, I didn’t really know how to make sure my dog was super healthy without causing harm to other animals. It honestly felt like a big challenge.
But you know what? Things changed for the better.
Over the past fifteen-plus years, I’ve learned a lot from working with so many different people and their dogs. And I can tell you for sure: the key is giving your canine companion a well-balanced diet that comes from plants. It’s something I strongly believe in now, after all my experiences and learning.