Ivonne is a native of Puerto Rico, where she grew up in a small town and in direct contact with nature and all kinds of animals. Her list of childhood pets included one cow, two goats, a rooster and, of course, many dogs.

 

In 2003, she moved to Chicago, where she volunteered for several organizations including The Anti-Cruelty Society, Animal Ark of Forest Park, Chicago Canine Rescue Foundation and, more recently, PAWS Chicago. During a trip to Puerto Rico in July of 2006, she met and fell in love with 10 month old Golden Retriever, Pancho, who was living with some family members. They asked her if she wanted to take him since they couldn’t take care for him. Without thinking twice she said “YES!” and brought Pancho to Chicago.

 

In 2007, she enrolled in the Basic Obedience Dog Trainer program with the Animal Behavior College. The same year, she moved to Tampa, Florida where she worked as a Trainer with Courteous Canine, Inc. She returned to Chicago at the end of 2008 and worked on her own before joining AnimalSense as a Senior Trainer in October 2010. In addition, Ivonne is a Licensed Presenter for the International Programs Dogs & Storks and The Dog and Baby Connection. She is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and The Pet Professional Guild. She is one of the few dog trainers in the Chicagoland area that is fully bilingual, offering training and counseling in English and Spanish. Ivonne is proud to offer her services as a Guest Speaker for CanineLink Academy.

 

In September 2012, Ivonne obtained her CPDT-KA, Certified Pet Dog Trainer credential. In the same year, she began helping stray Golden Retrievers in Puerto Rico through Save a Sato and As Good As Gold.

 

In addition, she holds a bachelor degree in Marketing and an MBA in Human Resources. She is also a Certified Human Resources Professional (PHR). She lives in Oak Park with her husband Javier, Pancho, her daughter Daniela and son Lucas.