Jackie got her first dog, a Portuguese Water Dog, when she was 12 years old and fell in love with training him to do tricks and agility in the back yard. In 2020, Jackie joined Guiding Eyes for the Blind as a puppy raiser. She has expanded her role at Guiding Eyes over the last few years to include teaching puppy foundations classes and helping other puppy raisers with their puppies. Jackie graduated from UCONN with a degree in Animal Sciences in May 2022 with plans to go to vet school, but decided to pursue her interest in dog training instead! She is currently working towards getting her certification as a professional dog trainer through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers. Jackie has a Yellow Lab, Chai, who she helped raise for Guiding Eyes but has since been released from the program. She is also currently raising another Black Lab, Wafer, who will be going off to her formal training to become a guide dog shortly. 

Jackie currently works as a Day Program instructor here at Tails, and is excited to get involved in dog sports such as scent work and agility.