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| Born and raised in Verona, New Jersey Annemarie spent most of her summers on her Great Grandpa’s 100-acre farm in Canterbury, Connecticut where she fell in love with dogs, horses, and all the animals that wandered out of the woods. An avid reader as a child, you could often find Annemarie under a tree curled up with a neighbor's dog reading a story book about animals. |
| Never having had a pet of her own as a child, Annemarie went to college and immediately rescued a monkey and a cat, both of which lived in her dorm room with her. Her monkey and her cat shared her dorm room for several years. This was only the start of a long list of animals that she would rescue over the coming years including a one-eyed horse. |
| News of her love of animals and rescue efforts got out and it was not unusual for her to come home to a dog tied up in her backyard or a crate of puppies on the back porch. |
| One day while listening to the news she heard about a lost 5 year old child. She wanted to help but there was nothing she was able to do. Having two daughthters herself she hated that helpless feeling and shortly thereafter she started reading about and researching Bloodhounds. After her research of the breed she brought home her first Bloodhound puppy, "Moonsong’s Tennessee Bracken," better known as Tennessee. Another rescued Bloodhound, "Zac," quickly followed and she trained both dogs for Search and Rescue. Annemarie and her Bloodhounds worked side by side for many years as a Search and Rescue team all over the State of Washington. Her Bloodhounds lived great lives with Annemarie. It was a wonderful experience having these loving companions and voulunteering with them -- it was her dream come true. |
| Annemarie meets Amos. One day while perusing Petfinder just for fun Annemarie saw a dog that caught her eye and reached out to her heart. His name was Amos. He was a Leonberger mix. She called Petfinder regarding Amos and she was told that he was scheduled to be euthanized the following day. His faults: he was too big, had no training, and he had been brought back to the shelter 3 times. Since Annemarie was a few hundred miles away from the shelter where Amos was being kept, she begged them to keep him until the weekend when she could drive there. The agreed and Amos came home with her that weekend. A long year of behavior training began. |
| After seeing a sign in her vet’s office about Reading With Rover (www.readingwithrover.org), a literacy program for kids, Annemarie decided that it was the perfect program for Amos. Annemarie knew for a fact that Amos was no Bloodhound and search and rescue was not for him; Amos had other special gifts. Annemarie decided to take Amos to the Pet Partner therapy class at Puppy Manners with Becky Bishop (www.puppymanners.com). Amos and Annemarie soon became a registered Pet Parther team with the Delta Society. Amos and Annemarie now work together visiting nursing homes, working with autistic children and helping at-risk children discover the joy of reading with Reading With Rover in the Northshore School District. After becoming involved with the Reading With Rover program, Annemarie became the Community Relations Director for the program. The Reading With Rover program and Amos were recently featured on Animal Planet's Jane Goodall special called “When Animals Talk”. Annemarie and Amos have also been featured in Reading With Rover stories on several local news stations. |
| Annemarie meets Tuck. A new leonberger puppy entered Annemarie's life in 2003. "Who’s Tuck Dawson" (working name: Tuck), a giant ball of fluff, moved in on July 17, 2003. Annemarie went back to Puppy Manners for training with Tuck. Family dog trainer Becky Bishop noticed Annemarie’s commitment to her dogs and those she assisted in class and decided to hire Annemarie to teach therapy classes for Puppy Manners. After having worked with kids for 20 years in different capacities in the Girl Scouts of America organization, she was a perfect fit for teaching the K911 class, Just For Kids and Dogs. Tuck, no longer a puppy at 130 pounds, is now also a registered Pet Partner therapy dog with the Delta Society and is visiting nursing homes and volunteering in the Reading With Rover program with Annemarie and Amos. |
| Annemarie discovered while assisting in Becky's Puppy Manners classes that she not only loves being with the puppies but she loves to help the puppy's family. So Annemarie started her own company, "My Puppy Nanny" (www.mypuppynanny.com). Anniemarie discovered all the wonderful benefits to having a dog in her life and she knows how important it is to families that their furry family members are well-cared-for and taken care of when the family can't be there. She knows the close relationship a puppy/dog can bring to a family or a child and she encourages it and loves to help families discover the same joy she has discovered with her dogs. |
