Sandra has been taking formal training classes with her pets for many years.  She began attending agility classes at SureFire in 2015 with her rescue dog Amelia.  During an agility hiatus of nearly a year and a half while Amelia was recovering from two different knee surgeries, Sandra trained Amelia to do fun tasks like “lace” and picking up and stacking objects. 

Sandra recently completed the Karen Pryor Academy’s Dog Trainer Professional program.  This is a seven-month commitment in which she participated with her dog Amelia.  During the program, Sandra taught her cat Grace to play dead, and she completed both online and in-person written and hands on coursework.  The final assessments involved Sandra teaching a class, and Amelia performing a 10-part behavior chain as cued by Sandra.

Sandra a veterinary technician, graduated from Mt. Ida College with a B.S. in veterinary technology. She is currently specialized in anesthesia and is working toward a behavior specialty certification. She finds working with dogs with behavioral challenges most rewarding.

Sandra started assistant training at SureFire in April of 2018 in the Companion Dog classes and has already worked her way to being an instructor. She has become one of our "go to gals" as she is always willing to step in where ever we need her. Her calm and knowledgeable manner make her a trusted instructor for staff and clients alike.

Sandra shares her house with her wife, three dogs, and two cats. 

When she can find the time, Sandra enjoys long walks on the beach with her dogs.

Speaking engagements

• Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University North Grafton, MA 2010 - present
• MVTA Annual Continuing Education Conference Worcester, MA 2011
• CVC Kansas City, MO 2010
• Mt. Ida College Veterinary Technician Symposium Newton, MA 2009
• Tufts Goes West Springfield, MA 2009

Publications

• Robbins, S. (2010). Premedication and Sedation Drugs. In S. Bryant (Ed.). Anesthesia for Veterinary Technicians (pp. 135-142). Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell Publisher.   

Education & Certifications

• KPA CTP
• Low Stress Handling University Silver Level Certification 2018
• CPDT-KSA 2017
• VTS (anesthesia & analgesia) 2008
• BS Veterinary Technology 2004
• CVT 2003

    Professional Associations

• Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians (SVBT)
• Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anesthesia and Analgesia (AVTAA)
• Massachusetts Veterinary Technician Association (MVTA)

    Continuing Education

• Karen Pryor Academy’s                                                                                    2019
• MVTA Conference                                                    Sturbridge, MA              10/14/18
• Clinical Animal Behavior Conference                       Las Vegas, NV              10/5 – 10/7/18
• Sociability vs. Aggression Threshold in Dogs          Natick, MA                     6/9 – 6/10/18
• Spring Technician Symposium                                 North Grafton, MA         6/3/18
• 19^th Annual Technician Symposium                         North Grafton, MA         1/28/18
• Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference                      Atlantic City, NJ             10/10 – 10/12/17
• 18^th Annual Technician Symposium                         North Grafton, MA         1/29/17
• Update on Behavior Medicine                                  Natick, MA                     11/19/16
• Tufts Behavior Conference                                       North Grafton, MA         4/3/16
• Technician Symposium 2016                                    North Grafton, MA         1/31/16