Bilinda Wagner (& Kate)

Bilinda has worked full time as a manager with the Edmonton Humane Society since 2004. She is currently developing the CEC Program Manager position at the shelter. She oversees the training department and is responsible to develop clinics and workshops to assist the public with behavior concerns.

She has worked with various breeds of dogs for over 35 years and has always found animal behavior fascinating. While spending several years managing a veterinary clinic she was known to staff and clients as “The only person aggressive dogs liked.” She now attributes this to her calming nature and passion for the ‘underdog’.

She first got interested in pit bulls after assisting during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. “I met so many scarred up fighting dogs that were so eager to be loved by humans that I started to immerse myself in knowledge and training of the breed.” She has been working for many years with pit bulls that arrive at the shelter as well as assisting the public with private sessions. She recognized that this breed is under the most public scrutiny and decided to develop classes to help people become advocates for the breed to illustrate all their supreme, positive qualities.

She has been teaching equine lessons for over 25 years and combined this experience with her detailed knowledge of dogs. She has taken several breed specific courses and attended the Masters In Behavior Conference in Portland 2008. Bilinda has shown dogs in CKC classes as well as agility and EHS training demonstrations. She currently shares her life with Katrina (from Louisiana), Matilda, Sophie and Otto as well as several horses, cats and a husband.

Jessica Crossley

Jessica Crossley's career in animal welfare began ten years ago. She caught the animal shelter "bug" while volunteering at her local SPCA in Kelowna, British Columbia. In 2002, she joined the team at the Edmonton Humane Society spending years in operations and working hands on with the animals.

In September 2005, she was promoted to the position of Coordinator of Education services. In this role, Jessica provides education and ‘training’ to the public on many aspects of responsible pet ownership. This includes working with people aged kindergarten to seniors including operation of a successful children’s camp that runs throughout the summer.

Jessica shares her home with three dogs, two horses and four cats. Two of her dogs have been practicing the sport of agility for several years and she has just completed a six week trainer mentoring program at the Edmonton Humane Society. She is excited to meet her students and share her vast animal knowledge with them!

Carol

Carol loves all animals and simply cannot imagine life without pets and in particular, dogs. Even as a child with allergies, she would not allow the challenges of sneezing, swollen watery eyes and skin rashes to deter her from spending her life with her favorite four legged friends. She has owned many dogs over her lifetime and finally made the decision to focus on her passion of dog training and dog behavior in 2008.

She has a Masters in Spiritual Science from the Peace Theological Seminary in Los Angeles, California and has completed her Animal Care: Dog Certificate through ICS and Dog and Cat First Aid with the Edmonton Humane Society. 

Carol has completed advanced level obedience training with her own Labradoodle, Gracie and they are now working through the various levels of agility training. Her latest pack members are new additions from the EHS, a Lab/Rottweiler/Chow cross named Luke and a pitbull cross named Cash. 

Carol runs her own dog sitting business and loves to work with the dogs she pet sits and is fascinated at how her own pack teaches the new dogs healthy dog play and the rules of the house. She has worked with many of her clients giving them advice on training and behavior issues.

She is a volunteer at the shelter and devotes time each week to working with the dogs not yet up for adoption to teach them loose leash walking and basic obedience through the use of clicker training. Carol started mentoring under the watch of EHS trainer, Bilinda Wagner in January of 2010 and loves to help out with the agility, pit bull and Feisty Fido classes. Her greatest joy comes when she sees a very challenging dog making progress.

She is very excited to be working with the Edmonton Humane Society as a trainer and helping you to create healthy, joy-filled relationships with your dogs.

 Christiane Benoit and Mio

With help from her family’s German shepherd “Alpha”, Christiane started training dogs in 1978 at the age of 10. As a former member of the German Association for German Shepherds (SV) she trained mainly German Shepherds for show, companion dog certification, and “Schutzhund”; a tracking, obedience and guard dog certification.

With her second dog “Inga” Christiane achieved many show and companion dog prizes. In 1987 Christine completed her Veterinary Assistance Certificate and began to develop special interest in alternative health care for dogs and people. Raised in a family of photographers, she spent a lot of time training dogs for advertising and photo shoots. Not only shepherds but poodles, pit bulls and different Heinz-49 varieties were her teachers.

After the birth of her first son, she began working part time in a midwifery clinic. In 2005 she certified as a“The Happiest Baby On The Block” instructor and offered childbirth education. In 2007 she achieved her diploma in homeopathy at the British Institute for Homeopathy in Canada. She began volunteering at the Edmonton Humane Society in 2009. With her love of children and dogs alike, Christiane published articles about safe family dog training in professional German midwifery books as well as in the Edmonton based parenting magazine “Birth Issues”. She developed a program for expecting families with dogs.

Stacy Miskolczi

After graduating from high school Stacy took pre-vet studies at the U of S and then graduated from the Kelsey/SIAST Veterinary Technology Program in 2002.

She worked in private practice and then the U of S vet college.  Stacy then had the privilege of working for the federal government in Vaccine and Infectious Disease research.  In 2005 Stacy moved from Saskatoon to Edmonton to pursue a different career path.

Stacy is certified as a vet tech and attends various seminars and conferences to stay up to date on new medical procedures, new technology, advancements in the animal field and new training methods.  She also regularly speaks at different Vet tech conferences on dog related topics.  Over the years Stacy has worked in big chain pet stores, a dog boarding kennel and taught private dog classes.  For over 5 years her and her Dad also taught various levels of agility for the Sask Agility Club and taugtht different obedience and dog behavior classes for the Saskatoon Kennel and Obedience.

In 1998 Stacy got the the love of her life a Belgian shepherd named Dakota.  With him she took on the dog world.  They competed in CKC and UKC conformation and obedience easily obtaining championships and numerous titles.  They also competed in AAC, CKC and NADAC agility and without effort obtained numerous titles and awards. They also competed in CKC tracking. As a team Stay and Dakota worked together as a Pet Therapy volunteer through St. Johns Ambulance.  Stacy's career highlight was when Dakota was named one of the top ten Belgian in Canada.  Two years later Stacy obtained her second Belgian Shepherd Boomer.  Working with Boomer she competed in obedience, conformation, sheep herding and obtained numerous titles, awards and championships with ease.

In 2006 Dakota was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.  Much of what Stacy has learned about dogs and that special bond came from her special boy Dakota who will always be greatly missed.

Currently Stacy shares her life with a 3 year old Belgian Groendale named Zeus, Cali a 3 year old German Shepherd, Lincoln a 3 year old Belgian Tervuren and a 5 month old Rotti named Sarge.  All 4 are active in agility, conformation and obedience.  In addition Lincoln is training as a search dog with the RCMP Canadian Search Dog Association.

Stacy is honored and privileged to be working with the Edmonton Humane Society.

Stacy has had dogs with behaviour issues and know what it's like to not always have that perfect dog and how frustrating it can be.  She believes every dog deserves that chance and that's why dog behaviour has always been an interest of hers.  Stacy has learned and trained with some of the best trainers and handlers in the industry and is honored to be able to pass on the knowledge she has gained to others,

As one of the best trainers and handlers Stacy knew once said. .   "All dogs have potential for greatness you just have to believe you will find it."

Stacy looks forward to teaching you and your dogs.