Our Team

Miranda Hitchcock

Founder, Executive Director, MS Applied Animal Behavior, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, Fear Free Certified

Miranda began her work with dogs as a volunteer at an animal shelter in Maryland, and then taught puppy classes and reactive/fearful dog classes before moving to Austin. Among her shelter work, she was the Shelter Operations Manager for Austin Animal Center and oversaw the shelter's behavior program and animal care. Miranda is a "behavior nerd" who's passionate about equity and access in the dog world. Miranda holds a Master's Degree in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare from Virginia Tech. (She/Her)

Michele Mendoza

Founder, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, Fear Free Certified

A lifelong dog lover, Michele started dog walking and pet sitting to earn extra money while working in corporate marketing roles. A long-term client opened her eyes to positive reinforcement training and inspired her to learn more about dog behavior. In 2010, she left the corporate world to start a training facility of her own, training thousands of dogs everything from manners to agility. After selling the business, she worked on the Behavior Team at Austin Animal Center and connected with Miranda over a shared passion for dog behavior. (She/Her)

Alexandra Dilley

MA, SA Pro, CPDT-KA

Alexandra was the Director of Behavior and Training at the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, DC. During her time there, she worked with the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center in Asheville, North Carolina, to develop HRA's first intensive program for severely fearful dog rehabilitation. She also taught classes on everything from obedience to dog reactivity. She has a Master's in animal behavior and completed a formal mentorship program on the treatment of separation-related problem behaviors. Alexandra provides treatment for dogs with separation-related problems.(She/her)

Carlye Cook

Training Assistant

Carlye spent over ten years working in local boarding facilities throughout high school and college. While she took a brief detour into sales after graduating from St. Edward’s in 2019, she quickly realized that a life working with dogs was the only life for her! She spent the last year and a half helping open a new boarding facility near Dripping Springs. However, she caught the training bug and dove headfirst into professional training and enrolled in the Animal Behavior College to get certified. She can’t wait to keep learning, growing, and working with everyone in our community to help our dogs live their best lives. (She/Her)

Eric Tarango

CPDT-KA, FFCP

Eric began dog training when he rescued his own dog who had resource guarding issues. In 2014 he moved to Austin, a dog loving city that helped him grow as a trainer. He shadowed a service dog trainer for a couple of years and was inspired to learn how animals thought and how they see the world. He started working as a dog trainer, teaching basic manners classes and private lessons for several years. He has helped and worked with thousands of dogs, and has a passion for learning about behavior problems and treatments in dogs. Eric also does dog training in Spanish for Every Dog. (He/Him)

Joanna Cordry

CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP, FFCP

Joanna has a Masters degree in Educational Psychology and a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis, and she's always been fascinated by the behavior exhibited by all animals. She’s been lucky enough to balance a career in behavioral health and disability advocacy with her love of all things dog and dog behavior . She’s apprenticed with a service dog organization, worked on the behavior team of a shelter, competed in agility, and practiced recreational nosework. She’s a graduate of the Karen Pryor Professional Dog Trainer Academy. (She/Her)

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Joree Jackson

Behavior Trainer

Joree began training professionally in 2021, with experience in everything from puppy training and basic obedience to behavior modification for reactivity, aggression, fear, and anxiety to service and therapy dog training, and is more recently getting into the sport training world.

In her free time, she trains for and competes in agility and adventures into the great outdoors on hikes and nature walks with her three dogs. She has started dabbling in canine fitness to keep them strong and healthy so they can continue enjoying life together. (She/Her)

Kat Gonzalez

Trainer

Kat got into training when she adopted her dog, Sunshine. She was two years old at the time and was a total runner, so they had to start training right away! She fell in love and hasn't looked back since. Sunshine is now eight, and she’s still my biggest inspiration. Kat is a big believer in the importance of building trust through compassion and consistency. She loves what she does because it’s both fun and meaningful — every day, she gets to learn and teach, which is a great way to live life. She's ready to keep learning so she can help as many dogs (and humans) as possible! Kat teaches in both English and Spanish. (She/Her)

Lana Lesley

CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, CCDT

Lana came to animal welfare and dog behavior training in 2018, after 23 years in the performing arts as a producer, performer and executive director. Beginning as a volunteer dog walker and eventually a trainer at a local rescue, Lana fell in love with every one of "her" dogs, and with the process of helping them learn coping skills and life skills. A lifelong learner, Lana completed the Master Program at CATCH Training Academy and earned her Professional Dog Trainer certification. (She/her)

Latania Fenn

Training Manager, CPDT-KA, FFCP

Latania is an avid dog lover and a huge enthusiast of dog sports. She found an insatiable interest in dog training after getting her heart dog Atlas. They started dog sports and hit the ground running trying their hands at everything from agility, to scent work to barn hunt.
Latania found a deep love for the science of training and the way enrichment can help dogs thrive and strengthen the bonds between owners and their pets. Latania was originally a volunteer at Every dog and super excited to join the team! (She/her)

Lindsey Thompson

CPDT-KA

Lindsey got her start volunteering at the Humane Society of El Paso, where she worked with the trainers on staff to learn about positive reinforcement training. She dove even deeper into dog behavior when she got her anxious and reactive dog Maze in 2018. She has worked in several dog daycare and boarding facilities, and she began training professionally in 2021. Maze has gone on to compete in Barn Hunt, earn her Advanced Trick Dog title, and she loves do Rally, Agility and Nosework for fun! Lindsey is a self proclaimed dog nerd who is always looking to learn about anything dog related, ranging from sports to behavior issues. (She/her)

Manuela Villero

Client Experience Coordinator

Manuela is from Toronto, Canada, and recently made the move to Texas with her pups Maxine and Canela.
Manuela is a big dog lover, so being part of a community that supports both dogs and their people feels really special to her. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her husband and their dogs, being outdoors, and enjoying the little moments. (She/Her)

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Maxine Wilkes

CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, FFCP

Maxine has over eight years of professional dog training experience. In addition to working with companion dogs, Maxine has experience training a variety of exotic animals, including lemurs, porcupines, and capybaras—an experience that deepened her understanding of learning theory, behavior, and individual needs across species. Maxine believes that every dog is unique, deserving a personalized, compassionate approach. She values building strong relationships with both dogs and their humans and enjoys getting to know each family she works with. (She/Her)

Morgan Bayard

CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, FFCP

Morgan Bayard has loved animals since childhood, gaining hands-on experience through FFA and 4-H with her family. They also raised five puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, three of which became working guide dogs—an experience that sparked Morgan’s passion for dog training. Now a professional trainer, Morgan is committed to helping owners build strong, positive relationships with their dogs. She shares her life with two rescue dogs: Freya, a 6-year-old German Shepherd/Husky mix, and Athena, a 3-year-old Rottweiler.
(She/Her)

Nathalie Lagacé

Trainer

Originally from Montréal, Nathalie moved to Austin in 2019. With over 25 years of living with and caring for dogs, she discovered her passion for training after helping her reactive dog Mica thrive. When her new puppy Arvin arrived, she wanted to give him the best start possible. They jumped into various classes which made her realize how much joy she found in helping him learn and grow. After gaining a year of formal experience as an assistant trainer, she is now pursuing CPDT certification to support families with compassion… all while keeping her charming French accent! (She/Her)

Nisa Semione

MS, CDBC, FFCP

Nisa is a certified trainer and dog behavior consultant, and is Fear Free Certified.. In 2018 Nisa began her career as a professional dog trainer in her home state of New York. In 2024 Nisa graduated with her Master of Science degree from Virginia Tech's Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare program. She is a believer in lifelong learning and has committed to continuing her education through the latest accredited articles, books, conferences, and more. In her free time she can be found with her two dogs, Hari and Habit, training, competing in dog sports, or outside enjoying nature. (She/Her)

Rachelle Trafton

CPDT-KA

Rachelle was born and raised in Austin, and has always been connected to animals. She started delving into training nine years ago when she adopted a six month old dog reactive Doberman, Great Pyrenees mix, Lucy. She became a trainer at PetSmart, DogBoy's Dog Ranch, and then came to Every Dog. While Rachelle lives in Magnolia, TX now, she's still helping the Every Dog team with customer service and admin (She/her).

Stephanie Hockett

Engagement Manager

Stephanie was born and raised on a farm in Northern Virginia, outside of DC.
She spent the past seven years in Austin, with her three dogs. She worked for eleven years as a retail and food service manager, in many different departments. She has a passion outside of her professional career for painting and other crafts! (She/Her)

Taylor Zey

Fundraising & Marketing Manager

My name is Taylor Zey (she/her), and I’m so excited to be joining the Every Dog team. I come from a background in nonprofit work, communications, and community engagement, with a deep passion for building inclusive, mission-driven spaces. Outside of work, I’m a proud rescue dog mom to my girl Stevie. I am so excited to be here and can’t wait to connect with all of you (and your pups)! (She/her)

Our Board Members

Camille Sabino

Camille is passionate about social impact. She has worked in for-profit and nonprofit settings from startups to public companies. Camille got her Master's in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California. Outside of her career, Camille enjoys spending time with her senior rescue dog, Finley. (She/her)

Hana Garner

Hana is a native Austinite with over a decade of experience in the Nonprofit world, focusing mostly on volunteer recruitment and engagement in both animal welfare and human services. Hana has two shelter pups, Marlowe and Little, and has had a lifelong passion of helping animals. In her personal life, Hana loves live music, travelling and exploring the various parks and natural areas in Texas. (She/her)

Tara Whitmore

Tara is VP of Finance for a high tech company in order to allow her 3 rescue dogs to live their best lives in the lap of luxury. Tara has 30+ years of experience in finance, HR and operations in a variety of industries including high tech, non-profit, CPG and staffing. She is a passionate volunteer serving as Treasurer for PTA, swim team and other organizations. She and her daughter volunteer at the Humane Society, as well as other organizations. (She/Her)