Speaker Bios

Jessica graduated from the NAIT Animal Health Technology program in 2010. She is a Registered Veterinary Technologist and the co-owner of Companion Veterinary Clinic, a Fear Free Certified Practice in Alberta, Canada. She is a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behaviour, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, and a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. Jessica is also a Fear Free Certified veterinary professional, trainer, and speaker. She also serves on the Examination and Credentials Approval Committee for the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians. Jessica was awarded the ABVMA Veterinary Technologist of the Year in 2021.

Jessica developed the training and behaviour program at Companion Veterinary Clinic in 2013, including curricula for dog training classes, kitten classes, trick training, and private training and behaviour modification sessions. Her goals have always been for clients to see their veterinary clinic as the first step to helping them with their pet’s behaviour and to ensure the emotional welfare of patients during veterinary visits. She is enthusiastic about teaching pet guardians how to best motivate and connect with their pets using positive, science-based methods of training. She has a special interest in cooperative veterinary care and enjoys helping canine and feline patients feel more comfortable and empowered for veterinary examinations and procedures.

Jessica enjoys educating and sharing her knowledge through speaking engagements and workshops. This includes guest lecturing both locally and internationally for veterinary professionals and trainers and providing client education seminars. She also enjoys writing and has authored several behaviour-related articles over her career. In addition, she provides mentorship for veterinary technologists and trainers interested in animal behaviour. In her spare time, she loves reading and being outdoors with her husband and two children, two dogs, one cat, and ten chickens.