About the Owner

Abby moved to Northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, in 2001 to start her family. She raised her three children in Newtown.

Abby was one of the first people in the state of Connecticut to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) in 2021.

She competed in her first Rally competition that same year, where she won multiple classes with her first Labrador Retriever, Mo. Interestingly, this event was the very first Rally trial, before it was an AKC event.

Since then, Abby has competed at the national level in multiple disciplines, earning top placements in AKC Rally and Obedience, and placing in the Top 10 at Doberman National with her dog, Dude.

Abby established The Exceptional Sidekick Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs in 2016, and serves as its Director. The Exceptional Sidekick Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs is a nonprofit service dog organization providing psychiatric service dogs to teens and young adults struggling to complete their education due to mental health challenges. The Exceptional Sidekick is one of fewer than 200 service dog organizations in the world to hold Assistance Dogs International Accreditation.

In 2017, Abby earned the Newtown Rotary and the Newtown Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award for her philanthropic work in supporting local organizations through The Exceptional Sidekick.

A strong believer in continuing education and professional development, Abby travels to workshops and seminars with some of the leading trainers in the field. Over the years, she has taken courses from experts such as Dr. Ian Dunbar at the Dunbar Academy, Suzanne Clothier, Pia Silvani, Sue Sternberg of Dogs of Course, and Denise Fenzi of the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy.

Abby regularly attends industry conferences and dog training classes to learn new and exciting techniques, while honoring the many lessons she has gained from the thousands of dogs she has trained over the years.

When not working, Abby can be found knitting or at Pilates. She has three adult kids that she regularly travels to visit.

Abby loves to hike, stroll around Fairfield Hills, and dine out, either trying new restaurants in Northern Fairfield County or returning to old favorites. She usually has a service dog in training with her, and enjoys spending time with her teen and college-aged mentees and volunteers at The Exceptional Sidekick Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs.