KATHY SHEA, CPDT
Kathy is the owner of Paws 'N Effect. Her experience as a pet dog trainer was preceded by a long history of training and showing horses and her own dogs, as well educating people in emergency medicine for almost thirty years. A member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers since 1996, Kathy was in the first group of trainers nationwide to successfully complete the national certification exam for pet dog trainers in September of 2001.
Her commitment to animal welfare and well-being is a constant theme in her life. She served as a Humane Commissioner for the City of New Haven, a volunteer trainer at the New Haven Animal Shelter, and is a graduate of the Humane Society of the United States Pets for Life Foundation. Kathy carries a Pet Tech certification in Pet CPR and First Aid, is a registered Pet Partner with her dear sheltie friend, Callie, and is a licensed Pet Partner Instructor & Evaluator. She shares her life with husband Gerry (an extraordinary dog dad) and her beloved earthdogs, Tag & Patsy, Petey & Buck.
Terri Cesarek
Classes taught at Paws include: Agility Handling.
LIL CLARK
Lil Clark shares her life with a group of extraordinary rescue dogs: Twinkie, a Pit Bull Terrier; Maia, a Rottweiler; Dazzle, a PBT; Peaches, a PBT; Mojo, a PBT, Frieda, a dachshund; and Tico, a Chihuahua mix.
Lil has been training dogs professionally since her 1972 graduation from the trainer program at Captain Haggerty’s School for Dogs. Her experience includes time as a veterinary assistant, a kennel worker, and an Animal Control Officer. Lil has competed in agility, competition obedience, rally obedience, K9 Nosework, Barnhunt, and K9 Watersports with her dogs, many of whom are titled in these sports. Several of Lil’s dogs are also active registered Therapy Dogs.
Lil enjoys regularly attending seminars and workshops on dog sports, canine behavior, and canine health because she believes learning is a lifelong pursuit.
Classes taught at Paws include: Puppy Kindergarten, classes in the Family Dog Basics series, Agility Foundations, and Nosework.
SANDY HOUSE, CPDT
Sandy has a boxer named Shelby, an itty bitty all-American terrier mix named Millie, and a rat terrier named Toby. Her approach to training is guided by compassion for dogs and people, along with a commitment to constantly improving her knowledge of dog behavior and training.
In addition to being a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Sandy is a Canine Good Citizen and STAR Puppy Instructor & Evaluator, an APDT Professional Member, a Pet Partners Therapy Animal instructor & Evaluator and a CLASS Instructor & Evaluator. She is also a graduate of Karen Pryor's "Puppy Start Right for Instructors" course. She also carries a Pet Tech certification for Pet First Aid & CPR.
Classes taught at Paws include: Puppy Kindergarten, Family Dog Training: Basics, Practicing the Basics, Training Games, Snarky Dog, Therapy Dog, and Canine Good Citizen.
Shari King, CPDT
Shari King is a veteran agility competitor and teacher with over 20 years of experience, and her bond with animals began even before that, with extensive work in dance and showing horses. Her first agility dog, a Miniature Pinscher named Blues, was the first minpin ever to earn a C-ATCH, also earning a CT-ATCH and High in Standard 09 CPE Nationals 12” Enthusiast.
Shari has run minpins, Chihuahas, Shetland Sheepdogs, Portuguese Water Dogs, and Rottweilers, and she currently runs three shelties in AKC agility. In 2021, her sheltie Paisley earned her MACH4 at Westminster Masters Agility Championship and was a 12" finalist as the top 12" sheltie. Paisley, 11 and semi-retired, is now in preferred. She has attended several AKC National events and qualifies every year. Aero is 6 and a Grand Champion Conformation dog who has earned his MACH. Rain is 3 and is working towards her MACH. Shari hopes to compete with all of them at an upcoming National event.
In addition to being a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Shari is an AKC ACT Evaluator and an OneMind Dogs Instructor, and each year, she attends multiple seminars with different world team members and OneMind Dogs coaches to stay up-to-date on the latest agility training.
Classes taught at Paws include: Agility Foundation, Novice/Open Competition Handling, Masters Handling, and Agility Skills.
Judy Reilly
Classes taught at Paws include: Handling Basics, Obstacle Skills, and Agility Handling.
BRIAN TIPPY, CPDT
Brian shares his life with two Golden Retrievers, Murphy, and Killian. Murphy is a registered therapy dog with Pet Partners, and Brian makes weekly visits with him at The Connecticut Hospice, as well as visits to area schools and nursing homes. Killian is just a pup, but he’s working toward a potential future in therapy work as well.
Brian is an experienced teacher and avid student of dog behavior and learning theory. In addition to being a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, and a licensed Pet Partners Therapy Team Evaluator, he is also our resident photographer.
Classes taught at Paws include: Puppy Kindergarten, Family Dog Training: Basics, Practicing the Basics, Canine Good Citizen, and Get Real.
STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, CPDT
Stephanie is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, an APDT professional member, and a Canine Good Citizen evaluator.
Classes taught at Paws include: Family Dog Training: Basics, Practicing the Basics, and Agility.
FRAN ZELLADONIS, CPDT
Fran and her husband Mike share their home and lives with their two rescued Labrador Retrievers, Molly and Sarah, both of whom are Canine Good Citizens and registered Therapy Dogs with Pet Partners. Fran has entered Sarah in competition in Barn Hunt and trains with Molly in Nosework.
Fran is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, an APDT professional member, a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, an Absolute Dogs Certified ProDog Trainer, and a Certified Trick Instructor and Certified Canine Conditioning Coach through Do More With Your Dog. A lifelong learner, Fran regularly attends seminars and workshops on canine behavior, training techniques, and learning theory. She has also enrolled herself and her dogs at the Canine Cognition Center at Yale, where, as a team, they regularly participate in studies that explore the way dogs think, learn, and problem solve.
Classes taught at Paws include: Family Dog Training: Basics, Connection, Cooperation & Control™, and Canine Good Citizen.