pawsitivepetsWL@gmail.com
765-325-PAWS

 
 
 

The Pawsitive Pets Team

 
 

Owners

Hilary Briggs, CCMT  + +

Co-Owner

Hilary is a certified canine massage therapist and oversees the pet sitting department, as well as the massage therapy aspects of Pawsitive Pets. She has been working with animals since 2002, in the veterinary medicine and pet care fields, always with a focus on force-free methods with the pets' mental and physical well-being in mind. She graduated from St. Joseph's College in 2009 with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, with a focus on pre-veterinary medicine.

Hilary's pronouns are she/her.

Patrick Holland, CPDT-KA  + + 

Co-Owner

Patrick has worked directly with animals since 2010 focusing on behavior and learning to effectively implement force-free training
techniques. He graduated Purdue University with a BS in Animal Science and a concentration in Companion Animal Behavior. He received the
Certificate of Achievement in Dog Training in 2012 from the Animal Behavior College. He earned his Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed certification through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers in 2015. As of 2021 he has registered over 90 continuing education credits. He is also a Training Mentor for the CATCH Academy to help students learn the skills necessary to make a positive impact in the animal industry. 

Patrick's pronouns are he/him.

Administrative Staff

Julie Becker 

Training Department Administrative Assistant and Pet Care Professional

Julie has always had a passion for working with animals, particularly with behavioral training, starting with showing her childhood dogs in 4H. This passion has continued into her professional career. She has an associates degree in Applied Science in Veterinary Technology and worked at the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic for 6 years prior to moving to Lafayette. When she is not working with animals, Julie enjoys spending time hiking and canoeing with her dog Elliot (and even sometimes her cat, Wayne, when he's feeling up for an adventure), line dancing, and hanging out with her fiance, Scott, who is in vet school here at Purdue. Julie and Scott are expecting a baby girl in February 2023!

Julie's pronouns are she/her.

HANNAH CLAYTOR 

PET SITTING DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Originally from Massachusetts, Hannah joined the team in August 2021. A lifelong animal enthusiast, her first job was at a local animal shelter at the tender age of 14. She later rode and trained gaited horses before “retiring” and settling into the world of dog grooming. She ended up in Indiana due to the pandemic and found enjoyment in a more administrative role. She lives with her two cats Gabby and Lizzy who are a constant source of joy and unconditional love. When not working she can be found enthusiastically pursuing professional development, forging new friendships, and traveling.

Hannah's pronouns are she/her.

 

Pet Care Staff

Katie Hutsell 

Senior Pet Care Professional

Katie has been working at Pawsitive Pets since 2017. Before working at Pawsitive Pets, she regularly volunteered at her local animal shelter and worked at Purdue's Animal Disease Diagnostics Lab. Katie's zoo consists of a dog, two cats, and a saltwater fish tank!

Katie’s pronouns are she/her.

Kelly Praiswater 

Senior Pet Care Professional

After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and working in a dog boarding facility in Houston, Kelly struck out on the more adventurous path of becoming an intern at Wolf Park in Battle Ground. Whilst there, Kelly received training in both clicker use and LIMA principles (Least Invasive Minimally Aversive) applied to their animal ambassadors of wolves, foxes, and coyotes.

After making the move to Indiana to remain close and actively volunteer at Wolf Park, Kelly worked at two local kennels but decided to pursue other options after becoming dissatisfied with the lower quality of physical, mental, and behavioral care characterized by high occupancy pet boarding facilities. Kelly is now overjoyed to work at Pawsitive Pets where she can apply her passion for animal care in the low-stress environment of each animal's own home.

Kelly’s pronouns are she/her, they/them.

Tobias Slaugh

Pet Care Professional

Tobias has years of experience with animals and has been in the animal field for 5 years now. He started off with volunteering at a cat humane society and moved on to kennel jobs through 2022. He's worked with all sorts of different types of dogs and cats, but has taken care of the occasional ferret, rat, reptile, and birds of prey. He provides patience and love to all animals, and though still in early training of animal care, he takes every encounter as a new opportunity to learn and grow his knowledge.

When not working with animals, Tobias enjoys drawing, hiking, crafting costumes, and writing.

Tobias's pronouns are he/him.

Rachel Cooper-Khan

Pet Care Professional

Rachel is a senior at Purdue University studying Neurobiology and Animal Sciences, hoping to attend vet school next year. She grew up with a variety of animals and has worked professionally with small animals for 2 years, as both a kennel attendant and veterinary assistant. She also volunteers at Belladonna Rescue & Sanctuary with rescued farm animals and other small animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits, and cats. She loves connecting with all kinds of animals and is especially passionate towards educating others about service animals.
In her free time, she sings with the Purduettes and hangs out with her two cats, Tofu and Soy Sauce.

Rachel's pronouns are she/her.

LeAnn Hackerd

Pet Care Professional

LeAnn joined the Pawsitive Pets team in June 2021. LeAnn has had cats and dogs throughout their entire life, and grew up volunteering at the Clinton County Humane Society. They have four years of obedience training on board. LeAnn has recently finished a two-year stint at the local humane society and is looking forward to caring for your furry and/or scaly friends in a less stressful environment. In their free time LeAnn enjoys traveling, craft beer and board games.

LeAnn's pronouns are they/them, she/her.

Cammy Charles  

Pet Care Professional

Cammy graduated high school in January 2021. She absolutely loves animals and caring for them. Cammy plans on attending college in the soon future to become a veterinary technician and hopefully eventually own her own vet clinic. She has worked with animals in the past at Almost Home Humane Society and Petsburgh Pet Care. Cammy was a dog kennel attendant at Almost Home Humane Society and a dog bather at Petsburgh.

When Cammy is not working with animals she enjoys hanging out with her friends and boyfriend, going to visit her family, and shopping.

Cammy's pronouns are she/her.

Training Staff

Carl Holland  +  +

Trainer

Carl Holland is an assistant dog trainer who has been working for Pawsitive Pets since 2016. He enjoys many outdoor activities which include hiking and canoeing with his Siberian husky Yuki who has also been working for Pawsitive Pets as an adult teacher dog since 2016.

Carl's pronouns are he/him.

Lauren MacKichan  

Trainer

Lauren has a bachelors degree in Animal Science and has been working professionally with animals for the past 6 years. She got her start in a small animal hospital, where she worked as a veterinary assistant for 3 years. Lauren also has 4 years of experience working with wildlife and exotic species, both in animal care and medical settings. Having the opportunity to work with animals such as birds of prey, wild canids, big cats, bears, a variety of reptiles, etc. has provided a unique perspective on animal behavior. She discovered her love of training and husbandry at Wolf Park as a two-time intern and is a current volunteer. With experience in a large carnivore behavior conservation research lab, Lauren has seen animal behavior in a variety of contexts. Lauren has been working with Pawsitive Pets since April 2020. When she's not working with animals, Lauren enjoys coffee dates with friends, family dinners, hiking, and caring for her newest succulent kids!

Lauren's pronouns are she/her.

Ava Crees  +

Trainer

Ava began working for Pawsitive Pets in April 2021 when she moved to Lafayette from her hometown of Bloomington. She has worked with animals professionally in a variety of settings including a dog daycare, a vet clinic, a pet store, and a grooming salon, but Pawsitive Pets allowed her to expand her knowledge in positive reinforcement training. Ava is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. After spending the day with her animal clients, she goes home to her own 2 dogs (Albert and Violet), 2 cats (Tansy and Screech), guinea pig (Shiloh), and snake (Hector).

Ava's pronouns are she/her.

JoAnna Rogoswki  

Trainer

JoAnna is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner and holds a master's degree in Comparative Pathobiology (Animal Behavior and Welfare concentration) from Purdue University. She first developed a passion for animal behavior and welfare while working at a veterinary clinic in high school. Since then, JoAnna has read every book on the subject she can get her hands on and gotten as much training experience as she can. She graduated from Purdue University with her BS in Animal Sciences in 2014. Before starting grad school in 2019, JoAnna taught high school science in Mission, TX with Teach for America. She is very passionate about educating people about animals in order to improve animal welfare and the human-animal bond.

JoAnna and her fiancée, Phil, are parents to Foxy (chihuahua mix), Maple (red heeler mix), and Booger (cat). Foxy and Maple are very excited to be flower girls in the wedding, Booger elected to stay home. While dogs are JoAnna's primary passion, she also enjoys playing soccer, singing with various choirs, and shopping at Target.

JoAnna's pronouns are she/her.