April 18, 2023

Building Momentum

I wanted to start by thanking the PEI pet owners and local veterinary clinics for supporting my business venture. I am so lucky to be able to combine my two passions, physiotherapy and animals, into a fun career.

In the past 2 months, I have been busy behind the scenes developing my brand and connecting with many fantastic and inspiring female entrepreneurs through the PEI Business Women's Association and through the PEI Living Magazine https://issuu.com/peilivingmagazine/docs/issuu_peil_spring_23. See page 54 for details!

I have also been invited to present at local animal groups, with the most recent being the Fast n FURious Flyball Dog Racing Club. It is so lovely seeing a group of individuals who are passionate about the wellbeing of their canine athletes and are looking for ways to improve their training routines so that they can help their athletes excel in their performance and more importantly prevent injuries so that they can continue to enjoy the sport for years to come.

The last success I wanted to share with you is that I recently wrapped up my second series of Canine Conditioning Classes and have been asked to start up another one! I was able to guide my clients through the basic foundations of conditioning and watch them continue to improve from week to week until they were ready to safely perform uneven and multiplanar balance exercises at an advanced level. I learned a lot from this group and was able to adapt the information and skills to meet each dog's level and abilities.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the next few months bring on.

Stay tuned...

Jan. 25, 2023

Sydney's Story

I was recently contacted by an individual who wanted to donate her dog's wheelchair. She told me the story of her dog, Sydney, who passed away from Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) about 1 year ago. 

Sydney was raised in a very active household. Before becoming sick, she was a part of everyday outings in the community and longer adventures with the family, such as multi-hour hikes, and outings at their cottage by the beach.

The family started noticing changes in Sydney's abilities when she was about 5 years old. She started getting clumsy, and over time lost the use of her back legs and her ability to walk on her own. Despite cost, the family decided to purchase a wheelchair for her because it was important to them that she continue to be part of their family's adventures.

The owner told me about their process to get Sydney her own wheelchair and how before she got it, her quality of life was limited as she needed to rely on them to carry her around the home and outside. When she finally got her wheelchair, the family worked together to help teach her to use it and help build up her endurance so that she could be independent once more.

The family shared with me that having a wheelchair gave Sydney back her quality of life. She was able to return to going for walks and hikes, going to the cottage, running around the beach, and most importantly, was able to return to being her playful self.

For Sydney, having a wheelchair gave her back everything. So in the end, although Sydney passed, the family wanted to give her wheelchair to Active Animal Rehabilitation and Fitness Inc. so that it could be shared with others in need.

As someone who loves my dogs unconditionally and brings them with me almost everywhere I go, this story hit home. I started Active Animal Rehabilitation and Fitness Inc. because I wanted to learn how I could help Zoey continue hiking, swimming, and playing with her family and friends until the very end. With this generous donation, I can help another family give their dog, their "Sydney", joy and independence once more.