Pet CPR Instructor...A Finalist!

BURBANK, Calif. - Aug. 6, 2013 - PRLog --  

Denise Fleck became interested in learning Pet First-Aid & CPR when her own yellow Labrador "Sunny" (adopted from the Burbank Animal Shelter) suffered a back injury.  In the years following, she has worked diligently to help others help their pets and is now a finalist for 'Woman of the Year' to be announced at the Women in the Pet Industry Awards in Portland, Oregon August 24th.

"The Pet Industry Women of the Year" Awards were designed to recognize the amazing females who dedicate their time and talents improving the lives of all pets — dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses and exotics — as well as their parents," said Shawna Schuh, President of WIPIN. "The awards are a celebration of women who…shine as beacons." 

Fleck, who is currently the Los Angeles County Regional Occupational Program's (LACOROP) Animal Care Instructor, teaches three semesters annually through the Burbank Unified School District.  LACOROP offers students 16+ courses that integrate hands-on training with academics to help them develop workplace and career management skills, and LACOROP operates the largest program of its kind in California and makes a variety of classes available to almost 40,000 students in 23 school districts.  

"Animal Care is a place where you meet new friends and work around animals.  You think about your lifestyle and learn to choose the right pet for YOU so that the animal will remain a fur-ever member of your family.  Students also explore career options and learn the vast opportunities in the animal care world," Fleck explains.  "There is nothing like looking into the eyes of an animal to make your troubles melt away.  Although I teach proper vaccination protocol, I'd like my passion for animals to spread like an infectious disease called 'compassion' that humans can contract and exhibit towards our four-legged friends!," she giggles.

This she has done with the release of her first illustrated children's storybook, "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover" (available on Amazon®) which teaches children, and reminds adults, to treat everyone as equals. The book embraces what adoption is all about…making sure pets become and remain part of the family! 

"My pets have brought pure joy to my life beginning with the Great Dane who raised me," Fleck laughs, "to the Akitas who now share my heart and my home.  If we all lived in the moment like our dogs do, taking time to cherish our family and friends (two-legged, four, feathered, finned or scaled) the world would be a better place."

In addition to today's WIPIN nomination, Fleck was the 2011 recipient of the Burbank Police Department’s Volunteer of the Year Award for her work at the Burbank Animal Shelter.  She assisted Homeland Security with their K9 Border Patrol First-Aid Program, developed her own line of Pet First-Aid Kits and has received both the Award of Excellence from the Cat Writers Association as well as the Maxwell Medallion from the Dog Writers Association for her writing.  Fleck's expertise however, is in Pet Safety, First Aid & CPR, and Denise has shared these skills on CBS-TV’s The Doctors, Animal Planet’s Groomer Has It and Pit Boss, A&E’s Kirstie Alley’s Big Life and frequently on KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles.  Her next book, "Pet First Aid 4 Kids," a joint project with Rescue Critters®, will be released in the Fall.  Learn more at www.sunnydogink.com.

Says Fleck, "It is a bow wow wonderful feeling to be chosen as a finalist by Women in the Pet Industry.  I am in the company of many talented and inspirational animal experts and regardless of who wins, I hope we'll leave a combined legacy of improving the lives of animals and therefore the lives of the people who love them."

Her competition includes:  Vicki Rae Thorne, Earth Heart, Inc. - Sleep Hollow, IL; Christina Massie, Club K-9 Doggy Daycare - Centerville, OH; Michelle Gaylord, Dog Lover Gift Baskets and Eternal Paw Prints - Port Hueneme, CA; Vicki Lynne Morgan, Animal Brands - Califon, NJ from the more than 120 career paths that exist within the pet industry. Women in the Pet Industry members include representatives from most. The organization is headquartered near Portland, Oregon, and is led by President Shawna Schuh.  www.womeninthepetindustry.com.