From the moment Amanda was born, she had a passion for animals. Growing up, she had cats, guinea pigs, chickens and ducks. She even had a goose, named Fred, she walked around the neighborhood. Beginning in 2005, Amanda started volunteering with horses at Huntington Beach Central Equestrian Center. During her time there, she had the pleasure of caring for the horses, cleaning stalls, being a rear trail guide, summer camps, and helped Red Bucket Equine Rescue with over 20 stallions. Amanda has worked with retired Olympic show jumping horses, mustangs, and rodeo horses. Before graduating high school, Amanda completed Early Childhood Education credits and began babysitting regularly for families in 2009. Over the course of 15 years, Amanda continued working with children as a professional nanny in California, Texas and Idaho. Ending her career as a nanny working with high-profile families.
Amanda’s fondness for training dogs began in 2017 when she adopted her first dog, Khali, from San Antonio Pets Alive in San Antonio, Texas. Khali entered Amanda’s life filled with heartworms, under socialized, and a complete behavioral mess. Her once reactive and insecure dog became her service dog in 2020. Amanda completed owner-training Khali for service work with Real Deal Dog Training, igniting her devotion for dog training.
Beginning in 2023, Amanda started volunteering again by raising and training a puppy for The Service Dog Connection. In 2024, Amanda went back to school at Animal Behavior College, where she spent a year completing their Service Dog Trainer Program, graduating in March 2025. During that time, she continued volunteering, raising and training several Service and Therapy Dog prospects. Late in August 2024, Amanda began volunteering as a foster for PAWS Rescue Inc, rehabbing two feral cattle dogs to get them ready for adoption. Amanda placed her first Therapy Dog candidate in March of 2025.
Today, Amanda continues utilizing her experience in Early Childhood Development, Psychology, horses, rescuing and rehabbing fearful dogs, and training Service and Therapy Dog prospects. She is committed to her professional development, specializing in Service and Therapy dogs, and re-homed dogs who have been adopted from shelters, rescues, or found as a stray.
