About

Our Story

Stephanie lives with her husband, Adam, and their dog, Oliver, near Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Stephanie completed her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Health Technology at Murray State University in 2006 and then went on to pass her certification as a Registered Veterinary Technician in 2007 (this designation is similar to Registered Nurse in human medicine).

After becoming a RVT she worked in a variety of types of veterinary hospitals. She initially began working in general small animal (and some equine) practice, and then moved on to specialty medicine when she took a job in a veterinary specialty and emergency center in Nashville, TN as an ER technician. After working there for a year she began working in academia. She was the Senior Veterinary Technician for Small Animal Orthopedics at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center. It was during her time there that she developed a love for Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine.

After her husband’s job required relocation to Cape Girardeau, she struggled to find something that would allow her to continue the career in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation that she loved. It was during this time that she began reading and learning about a variety of alternative health options for both her human and canine family members.

She is a Fear Free Certified Professional. She completed her Fear Free Level 1 Certification in 2018, and her Level 2 & 3 Certifications in 2021. She is now certified as an Elite Fear Free Certified Professional.

In January of 2020 she began taking classes through Canis Bodyworks to work towards her goal of becoming nationally certified in canine massage. She completed her studies in December of 2020. In February of 2021, she passed her examination for board certification in canine massage through the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage.

In June of 2021 she became certified in Basic CPR for small animals through the RECOVER Initiative. The RECOVER certification process is the ONLY CPR certification recognized by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) and Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) as a standardized method derived from the latest evidence-based veterinary CPR guidelines.

After she started her canine massage business she wanted to find a way to offer more wellness services to the dogs in her area. This lead her to add kinesiology taping and nutrition services to her business.

She completed the Canine Kinesiology Taping seminar and case studies offered through Angel’s Animals Holistic Care Seminars during the Summer of 2021.

Over the past several years she has read and learned a lot about species appropriate diets and the impact whole food nutrition could make for both humans and animals. In addition to all the things she has already learned, she completed the Canine & Feline Nutrition Certificate coursework from Southern Illinois University. She began her coursework in August of 2021 and completed it in May of 2022.