Johanna was born in Maine, but moved with her family to the Big Bend region in Texas when she was 9. After 16 years of living in the desert, she decided it was time to start the next chapter in her life, and settled on Virginia.
Johanna started working with animals when she was 10, volunteering in a shelter’s neonatal kitten and feral cat program. She started working with horses and therapeutic riding around that time as well, then started showing horses in 4H as a teenager. She wanted to go into equine rehabilitation, but after working in a shelter after high school, she fell in love with canine behavioral health. She invested time in the behavior program and found a passion for outreach and support in communities with fewer resources. Giving animals and people compassion is a core value of hers.
While in the shelter world, Johanna was a part of medical, behavioral, and committee outreach teams. She also became deeply invested in community education. At one point, Johanna wanted to explore other species, since she had only worked with cats, dogs, and horses. She had the opportunity to intern at a HSUS rescue ranch to work with a wide variety of wildlife, including tigers, bears, and chimps, but still found herself being called back to companion animals.
Johanna joined our Harmony team during the Summer of 2023 as a veterinary assistant and is a Fear Free Certified Professional. She wants to pursue a career in canine behavior, with a focus on strengthening communication, trust, and the bond between pets and their guardians. She currently offers “Cooperative Care” appointments at Harmony where she works with patients to help them overcome specific veterinary fears through cooperative care training!
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her border/aussie named Ada and her chiweenie named Cheese. She also enjoys backpacking, cycling, exploring museums and art installations, as well as contradancing.