Jessi, CVT, KPA-CTP, PCT-A, CPDT-KA, earned her bachelor's degree in arts and sciences from Salem State University, where she majored in theatre and minored in English. She was a certified pharmacy technician for four years before joining VCA Brookline Animal Hospital in 2010, where she trained as a technician while attending North Shore Community College. She earned her associate's degree in veterinary technology with high honors from NSCC in 2016, just before transferring to VCA Wakefield.
She is an Elite Certified Fear Free™ Professional with a special interest in animal behavior, as well as a certified trainer through the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA-CTP). In 2022, she earned the distinguished Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) title. In 2025, she earned the Professional Canine Trainer-Accredited (PCT-A) title from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board.
Jessi offers behavior consultations in conjunction with our doctors, with an emphasis on Cooperative Care visits. These are visits rooted in positive reinforcement with a focus on changing our pets' emotional response to their own medical care. She helps them become accustomed to tools that are used in their care, thereby reducing the fear, anxiety, and stress that some patients experience at the veterinarian. Speak with your doctor if you think Jessi may be able to assist with your nervous patient.
Jessi also assists locally with private training sessions for puppies, adult dogs in need of manners, and reactive dogs. Jessi is a member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) and the Newfoundland Club of New England. She enjoys dog sports (agility, nose work, and parkour to name a few), camping, sewing, and travel. She and her husband live in North Reading with a Mississippi mixed breed, Zinnia, two Newfoundland Dogs, Declan and Isadora, and a bearded dragon named Bucky.
