Howling Moon Pet Care Owner and Head Trainer/Groomer, Jesi Kirk, CPDT-KA has been training dogs since she was 8 years old. Jesi dreamed of working with dogs at a young age. In college, at NCSU, she contemplated becoming a Veterinarian. Instead, she completed a grooming apprenticeship at a local vet’s office and received a degree in Education. Although she enjoyed working with children, she knew her heart belonged to dogs. Jesi has over fifteen years of experience in dog training and grooming on a professional level. Her experience teaching children gives her the confidence, creativity, and patience to educate dog owners on training, grooming, and husbandry techniques.

Jesi is forever grateful of the bond that exists between dogs and their people. After all, dogs have helped to shape Jesi’s entire life and her many dogs over the years have taught her so much about enjoying life to the fullest. She is well aware of the healing component a dog can bring to your life and promoting this special connection is a significant part of Howling Moon Pet Care’s mission and philosophy.

Jesi is a certified professional dog trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, a certification that requires hundreds of logged training hours and passing a comprehensive exam. Jesi is also a certified Fear Free Dog Trainer and Groomer vowing to use the least invasive techniques possible when training and grooming pets. She is the only Fear Free certified dog groomer in Raleigh, NC. Her specialties include Creative Grooming and Cooperative Care. She has also enjoyed competing and earning titles over the years in Rally Obedience, Conformation, Agility, and Trick Dog. Jesi enjoys giving back to the community in the form of therapy dog visits and donations to local rescues who help find homes for unwanted pets. Jesi is also an approved evaluator for the AKC.

     Howling Moon Pet Care Trainer, Remy Metzger, CPDT-KA has been passionate about dogs from the time she was little.  As a young child, she would set up makeshift agility courses in her home for her family Dachshund, Buddha.  Remy has always loved animals of all shapes and sizes.  She has previously ridden in a rodeo and loved to teach fun tricks to the horse she rode.  As a teenager, she adopted a dog named Baby.  At a young age, Baby dealt with dog reactivity and aggression.  While rebuilding Baby’s ability to co-exist and communicate with her own species, Remy’s passion for dog training was ignited.

Remy has been dog training professionally for seven years.  Remy is a certified professional dog trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, a certification that requires hundreds of logged hours and passing a comprehensive exam.   Remy has participated in Rally Obedience, Agility, Barn Hunt, Parkour, Dock Diving, and has earned titles in Trick Dog.  Remy is also an Evaluator with the American Kennel Club.

Howling Moon Pet Care Trainer, Lydia Register, CCDT began working with dogs at a young age.  Her passion for helping them began in 2003 when she adopted her first shelter pup, Natasha.  Since then, she has spent many years in the realm of rescue and rehabilitation.  She has saved over 300 pets from dire situations while working to build trust and comfort in many fearful cases.  Her passion is strengthening the bond between man and best friend in hopes that the individual needs of our canine companions are more widely understood and their welfare properly met.

Lydia is a certified dog trainer through the CATCH Canine Trainers Academy.  She is working to earn an additional certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, and aims to have this title by Summer 2023.  Lydia has obtained a degree in Animal Welfare from North Carolina State University.

Cal is a private dog trainer with a lifetime of personal experience and four years of professional experience training dogs. He lives on a small farm with his husband, six dogs, and a variety of other animals. Growing up, Cal was surrounded by dogs – from his family dogs at home to his Uncle’s working German Shorthaired Pointers, Cal was never without canine companionship. While earning his Bachelor of Science in Geology at CSU, he enrolled in a Behavior Modification class and spent a semester clicker training cats and learning about behavior science. Around that time, Cal was navigating the onset of a debilitating medical condition and his medical team decided that a service animal would be an appropriate aid. He spent the next two years training his current service dog, Andie. This sparked his desire to dive deeper into professional dog training.