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Practitioner of the Month
Each month one of our practitioners is chosen and showcased. You could be next!
October 2024
Heather Lundervold
Location?
Prescott Valley, Arizona
Certifications through Angel's Animals?
Equine Massage, Kinesiology Taping, Aromatherapy, First Aid and Small Animal Aromatherapy
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals?
I have owned horses all my life and after high school, I decided go to vet school.
What animal influenced you the most growing up?
Horses
What animals do you currently own?
Horses and dogs
​
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out?
I am an Angel’s Animals Instructor and assist students in their certifications. I hold many certifications and have been working with animals all my life. I’ve been practicing holistic medicine for decades as well as veterinary medicine as a veterinary technician.
What message would you like to share with potential clients?
Whether we choose veterinary medicine or a holistic medicine approach, we now have so many ways to help our animlas live their best healthy lives. Depending on the issue, injury or problem we have a lot of choice and knowledge to be able to help the animal heal to the best of our ability. Through holistic medicine we now have treatments that can save thousands on vet bills and alternative treatment programs. There definitely is also a place for veterinary medicine so it is so great to have so many options.
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a
career in animal health?
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A career in animal health is very rewarding and a lot of fun. It’s amazing how we can help these animals with the knowledge we now have. There are so many holistic approaches and modalities that can really help animals. With veterinary medicine and holistic medicine we have so much to offer our animals in the form of health and healing.
August 2024
Corina Harper
Location: Northern California, USA
Certifications through Angel's Animals: Canine Kinesiology Taping
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals: I have been a vet tech for bout 10 years now. I have always had a love for animals and wanted to work with them. ​
What animal influenced you the most growing up? Growing up we had horses and dogs. While I went into small animal practice I still have a love for large animal also.
What animals do you currently own? I currently have a 3 yr old French Bulldog who is a handful but we love him.
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out? I have recently been able to bring Kin taping into my job. I work in a general small animal practice and alhave been growing the number of patients I have been taping. Super excited about that and love being able to bring this in the mainstream of veterinary care.
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal health? Veterinary care can look and come in all different types of way. I am a big believer in both western and eastern medicine and love seen the benefits of both working together to take care of my patients.
July 2024
Morgan Rooks-Turcotte
Location? Alberta, Canada. I service around the Edmonton area
Certifications through Angel's Animals? Holistic Equine Nutrition, Equine Kinesiology, Small Animal & Equine Acupressure, Animal Raindrop Therapy, and Cold Laser. Still enrolled in Massage and Craniosacral, but just working my way through case studies and log hours and have taken lots of CE along the way so I can be the best that I can!
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals? From a young age for sure! I aspired to be a veterinarian, but once I hit my teens and got to ride and compete with horses my mind changed. I wanted to really support equine athletes and pursue a holistic career
What animal influenced you the most growing up?
All the horses I rode growing up truly. I grew up riding in a barn where we got to ride and train a lot of different horses and care for them, and because these animals were my entire world - I wanted to ensure they were comfortable and healthy when they worked so hard for me. Especially when I was older and I had a competition mare with such bad scar tissue on her hind end that caused so much tension in her entire body, to mention she was club footed after her previous owners let her feet just grow for years. Ellie was a handful of a mare, but I knew it wasn't just because she was mad - I knew it was more than that.
What animals do you currently own?
I have 1 horse, a Thoroughbred named Barron and 6 cats!
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out?
I focus a lot on the whys and how's and create a program with my clients to get their animal back to whole health. I really enjoy teaching my clients techniques to do at home with their own horses to keep them balanced inside and out. Since introducing Acupressure to my practice, it has drastically changed the healing process I see, and has created this amazing touch with the horses I treat.
What message would you like to share with potential clients? I aim to be your one stop shop, and share my knowledge with you so that you can support your equine partner. I enjoy every modality and it's unique abilities to layer back tension and create a longer lasting affect.
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal health?
Pursuing a career in animal health means you don't take just one course and your done - Continued education is truly key in my opinion to become a great practitioner because there is so much value in knowledge. It is a very rewarding feeling when you break through with your patients and their tension and you watch them become a whole new animal beneath your hands.
June 2024
Dr. Sarah Blotevogel
Location: Tulsa, OK
Certifications through Angel's Animals LLC: Certified Canine Myo-manipulative Functional Therapist (Canine Massage Certification)
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals? I’ve always had animals in my life, but I had never considered careers directly involving them. I became a Doctor of Physical Therapy, which I’ve enjoyed, but about 6 years ago, I learned about canine rehabilitation and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I loved the idea of combining my love of PT (and massage/manual therapy skills) with my passion for animals but wasn’t ready to make that transition yet. Fast forward to 2022, and I took the leap to add animals to my clientele by earning my canine rehabilitation therapist certification (CCRT). In 2023, I decided to get a massage certification to further enhance my hands-on skills to best serve my canine clients.
What animal influenced you the most growing up? I can’t say any one animal influenced me more than another; each one played a major role in my life. I will say that I was particularly impacted by two of our golden retrievers that dealt with spinal dysfunction and hind end weakness as they aged. In the end, we had to say goodbye due to their physical ailments, but I always felt that if we could have addressed their musculoskeletal impairments, we could have kept them around longer. Who knew that 20+ years later I would have the skills to do just that?
​What animals do you currently own? I currently have a 13-year-old Sheltie named Solo and a 3-year-old Coltriever named Marvel. Sadly, I lost my horse, Slick, last year at the age of 26. (We did get to enjoy a wonderful 20 years together, though!)
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out? I think my background in human physical therapy helps me stand out, as I have years of experience—albeit on humans—in gait and movement analysis, and over a decade of hands-on experience palpating, assessing, and addressing hang-ups in soft tissues and joints. Adding this massage certification to my canine rehabilitation practice adds depth to my global treatment approach. Every treatment plan is tailored to the individual dog’s needs, working toward the goal the owner has set for them, whether getting back to high-level sporting activities or a family walk around the block. Beyond just the physical skills, I want my passion for dogs to shine through. This isn’t just a job for me, and I hope that is reflected in every interaction I have.
What message would you like to share with potential clients? Seeking massage/rehab early is one of the best things you can do to prevent a big, glaring problem from developing or a further decline in function. Not to mention, keeping pain as minimal as possible, as early as possible. My other big message to owners is “be prepared to put in the work!” Improving the health and wellness of your dog is not a passive act on the owner’s part—they need to be actively involved. A large part of my practice is client education: teaching owners how to feel general tissue restrictions and perform simple strokes and techniques that they can do between massage sessions. I also expect them to work daily with their dog on simple stretches and exercises that will reinforce the tissue improvements achieved during the massage. I want all pet parents to have a hands-on role in helping restore their pet’s function.
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal health? Don’t wait—just do it! I regret waiting so long to finally pursue what I was passionate about. It can add an element of joy in your life that you never knew you were missing.
September 2024
Kate Smailes
Location?
Western Australia
Certifications through Angel's Animals?
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals?
For as long as I can remember! But it was in my final years of high school that I settled on
the career of being a body worker. So as soon as I graduated, I signed up for a course in
equine sports massage and never looked back.
What animal influenced you the most growing up?
My first horse, a Thoroughbred mare named Rosie. I purchased her myself at the age of 12,
and she taught me more than you would ever expect to learn from a horse. I had to work
incredibly hard at a young age to have the privilege of owning her, so the life lessons that
she came with were more valuable than any other.
What animals do you currently own?
2 Thoroughbred geldings.
Mani, who is now 17 years old and enjoying his well deserved retirement.
Logan, now 7, who is my next eventing hopeful.
2 Lhasa Apso dogs, Benji (5) and Miley (3), who live a life of absolute luxury!
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out?
As Complete Horse Care WA, I actually work in partnership with my husband, who is a
skilled farrier. While every effort is made to take a collaborative approach when working with
any horse, the clients that we share together have peace of mind knowing that Josh and I
are always on the same page.
What message would you like to share with potential clients?
We are now living in an age where we have more resources than ever to help our horses,
and we should absolutely be using them. Though with so many options and information
available, it can be overwhelming trying to know what the best decisions are for our horses.
As far as bodywork is concerned, there are many skilled therapists, and there are also many
incredible modalities. Keep an open mind, find a therapist that you trust, and modality/s that
work for your horse.
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a
career in animal health?
Never stop learning! Be prepared to be a ‘student’ for life, and enjoy the journey that comes
with it. There will always be something that you don’t know, in fact there will be a lot. Let that
fact excite you, rather than scare you!
August 2024
Corina Harper
Location: Northern California, USA
Certifications through Angel's Animals: Canine Kinesiology Taping
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals: I have been a vet tech for bout 10 years now. I have always had a love for animals and wanted to work with them. ​
What animal influenced you the most growing up? Growing up we had horses and dogs. While I went into small animal practice I still have a love for large animal also.
What animals do you currently own? I currently have a 3 yr old French Bulldog who is a handful but we love him.
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out? I have recently been able to bring Kin taping into my job. I work in a general small animal practice and alhave been growing the number of patients I have been taping. Super excited about that and love being able to bring this in the mainstream of veterinary care.
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal health? Veterinary care can look and come in all different types of way. I am a big believer in both western and eastern medicine and love seen the benefits of both working together to take care of my patients.
July 2024
Morgan Rooks-Turcotte
Location? Alberta, Canada. I service around the Edmonton area
Certifications through Angel's Animals? Holistic Equine Nutrition, Equine Kinesiology, Small Animal & Equine Acupressure, Animal Raindrop Therapy, and Cold Laser. Still enrolled in Massage and Craniosacral, but just working my way through case studies and log hours and have taken lots of CE along the way so I can be the best that I can!
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals? From a young age for sure! I aspired to be a veterinarian, but once I hit my teens and got to ride and compete with horses my mind changed. I wanted to really support equine athletes and pursue a holistic career
What animal influenced you the most growing up?
All the horses I rode growing up truly. I grew up riding in a barn where we got to ride and train a lot of different horses and care for them, and because these animals were my entire world - I wanted to ensure they were comfortable and healthy when they worked so hard for me. Especially when I was older and I had a competition mare with such bad scar tissue on her hind end that caused so much tension in her entire body, to mention she was club footed after her previous owners let her feet just grow for years. Ellie was a handful of a mare, but I knew it wasn't just because she was mad - I knew it was more than that.
What animals do you currently own?
I have 1 horse, a Thoroughbred named Barron and 6 cats!
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out?
I focus a lot on the whys and how's and create a program with my clients to get their animal back to whole health. I really enjoy teaching my clients techniques to do at home with their own horses to keep them balanced inside and out. Since introducing Acupressure to my practice, it has drastically changed the healing process I see, and has created this amazing touch with the horses I treat.
What message would you like to share with potential clients? I aim to be your one stop shop, and share my knowledge with you so that you can support your equine partner. I enjoy every modality and it's unique abilities to layer back tension and create a longer lasting affect.
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal health?
Pursuing a career in animal health means you don't take just one course and your done - Continued education is truly key in my opinion to become a great practitioner because there is so much value in knowledge. It is a very rewarding feeling when you break through with your patients and their tension and you watch them become a whole new animal beneath your hands.
June 2024
Dr. Sarah Blotevogel
Location: Tulsa, OK
Certifications through Angel's Animals LLC: Certified Canine Myo-manipulative Functional Therapist (Canine Massage Certification)
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals? I’ve always had animals in my life, but I had never considered careers directly involving them. I became a Doctor of Physical Therapy, which I’ve enjoyed, but about 6 years ago, I learned about canine rehabilitation and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I loved the idea of combining my love of PT (and massage/manual therapy skills) with my passion for animals but wasn’t ready to make that transition yet. Fast forward to 2022, and I took the leap to add animals to my clientele by earning my canine rehabilitation therapist certification (CCRT). In 2023, I decided to get a massage certification to further enhance my hands-on skills to best serve my canine clients.
What animal influenced you the most growing up? I can’t say any one animal influenced me more than another; each one played a major role in my life. I will say that I was particularly impacted by two of our golden retrievers that dealt with spinal dysfunction and hind end weakness as they aged. In the end, we had to say goodbye due to their physical ailments, but I always felt that if we could have addressed their musculoskeletal impairments, we could have kept them around longer. Who knew that 20+ years later I would have the skills to do just that?
​What animals do you currently own? I currently have a 13-year-old Sheltie named Solo and a 3-year-old Coltriever named Marvel. Sadly, I lost my horse, Slick, last year at the age of 26. (We did get to enjoy a wonderful 20 years together, though!)
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out? I think my background in human physical therapy helps me stand out, as I have years of experience—albeit on humans—in gait and movement analysis, and over a decade of hands-on experience palpating, assessing, and addressing hang-ups in soft tissues and joints. Adding this massage certification to my canine rehabilitation practice adds depth to my global treatment approach. Every treatment plan is tailored to the individual dog’s needs, working toward the goal the owner has set for them, whether getting back to high-level sporting activities or a family walk around the block. Beyond just the physical skills, I want my passion for dogs to shine through. This isn’t just a job for me, and I hope that is reflected in every interaction I have.
What message would you like to share with potential clients? Seeking massage/rehab early is one of the best things you can do to prevent a big, glaring problem from developing or a further decline in function. Not to mention, keeping pain as minimal as possible, as early as possible. My other big message to owners is “be prepared to put in the work!” Improving the health and wellness of your dog is not a passive act on the owner’s part—they need to be actively involved. A large part of my practice is client education: teaching owners how to feel general tissue restrictions and perform simple strokes and techniques that they can do between massage sessions. I also expect them to work daily with their dog on simple stretches and exercises that will reinforce the tissue improvements achieved during the massage. I want all pet parents to have a hands-on role in helping restore their pet’s function.
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal health? Don’t wait—just do it! I regret waiting so long to finally pursue what I was passionate about. It can add an element of joy in your life that you never knew you were missing.
May 2024
Hillary Little
Location?
Plymouth, California
Certifications through Angel's Animals?
Equine massage, and kinesiology. In progress with completing ANMR and craniosacral therapy.
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals?
I have always had animals in my life and I started noticing areas of discomfort on them. I wanted to help them in between vet visits. So I looked into equine massage therapy last year and have really enjoyed learning how to help them.
What animal influenced you the most growing up?
My first cat Hazel. She was a black feral kitten under my grandparents house. I was probably six years old and crawled under that house and got the kitten. She was covered in fleas but I held her until my dad picked me up. With that determination he couldn’t say no to the kitten. I had her for twenty four years before she passed away. She was an incredible cat.
What animals do you currently own?
I currently have two horses, three dogs, three cats and a bunch of chickens.
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out?
My equine bodywork stands out because I listen to the horse and adapt my treatment to their needs at that appointment. Their owners appreciate my explanations and work with them to help them horse.
What message would you like to share with potential clients?
We are all striving to do the best we can for our animals. Bodywork can help make that achievable.
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a
career in animal health?
Pursuing a career in animal health is rewarding and educational. I highly recommend Holistic Animal Studies. The corses are great and help is readily available. I really like the feedback on the assignments.
April 2024
Elizabeth (Betsy) Daniels
Location: CT, USA
Certifications through Angel's Animals: Canine Myo-Manipulative Functional Therapist
Canine Craniosacral Techniques Therapist
Animal Cold Laser Therapist
When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals: I have always loved animals of all kinds. I grew up in a large family and we all loved
animals, so we had a lot of pets, from dogs, cats, horses, crows, and a few wild animals we rehabilitated.
What animal influenced you the most growing up? When I was 12, my dad got our first Irish Wolfhound, Tara. She was 6 months old when we got her and had not had any formal training. I decided to take her for a walk, but instead she took me! That’s when I first became interested in training. With my Dad’s support, I trained Tara in obedience and completed successfully in obedience events. I even trained her to be in a play using hand signals to guide her in her role from the orchestra pit! My high school offered Agri-Science courses, so I was able to learn a lot about animals and agriculture, as well as complete 2 years in veterinary science. I went on to own and train multiple Irish Wolfhounds and other dogs and successfully competed in Breed, Obedience, and Field competitions, as well having multiple dogs as Canine Good Citizens and Therapy
dogs. I later enjoyed dog shows and field events with both of my daughters and their dogs. I also owned horses and competed in events with them. In the past I had introduced an animal assisted therapy program within a preschool where I worked. We had resident guinea pigs and a rabbit and the kids loved learning how to care for the animals, as well as having the animals included in classroom activities. We had several children with disabilities and the animals became part of their therapeutic program as well. Because of this experience, I wanted to find a way to work with children utilizing animals in a therapeutic way. I went on to become a Pediatric Occupational Therapy Practitioner, later earning a certificate in Professional Animal Assisted Therapy. I have been blessed in being able to do
what I LOVE with all the canine partners and families that I have had the honor of working with and continue to work with. One of the best results in working with children and their families with my canine partners is that often times the families would see the therapeutic value of including a dog in their family and I was often asked to be a resource for them! I decided to go on and become certified in Canine Myo-Manipulitive Functional Therapy and Canine Craniosacral Therapy, because I have seen how much it helps my human patients, as well as my own dogs.
What animals do you currently own?
Currently I have (in chronological order;) Chrissy, my 41 year old Golfin’s Cockatoo, Doogie, our 34 year old Cockatiel, Pearl, my 13.5 year old Standard Poodle and retired Canine OT partner, Otis Henry, our 11 year old senior rescue Puggle and Barry, my 2 year old dachshund/Shih Tzu rescue and current OT canine partner.
What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out? I think I have always believed in the body’s ability to heal it’s self, which is what lead me to incorporate craniosacral within my OT practice. I like the connection I have learned to have with each person and now in my practice with dogs. I believe in co-operative care and in meeting the dog where they are in order to create a therapeutic relationship. I like having the owner/caregiver be part of their dog’s session, so I can work with them to help foster that understanding and in order for them to create a therapeutic relationship with their dog.
What message would you like to share with potential clients?
There are so many ways to deepen the bond with their dog and to ensure a mutually beneficial partnership for both owner and dog! Just as self care is important for us as people, canine massage is a great resource for preventive care and in enhancing their dog’s health. Canine massage can also help owners be aware of how their dog is responding to activities or aging. I feel it gives owners better insight to how their dog is doing that may not be as evident in routine care. I also believe it’s a way to return their unconditional love for us!
What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal health?
I love that Angel’s Animals Holistic Care & Seminars offers courses for owners. I would encourage owners who would like to learn ways to enhance their dog’s health and their relationship with their dog, to take a owners course. For those already thinking about a career in animal health, I would highly
recommend Angel’s Animals Holistic courses. I think the courses are a great way to get started in finding what area of animal health might be the right fit!
