Meet Theresa

I started A1 Critter Sitters in 1995 as a pet sitting business on Long Island's East End. For nearly three decades, I cared for animals in their homes — building relationships with families that lasted 20+ years.

But the work kept evolving. The more I learned about animal behavior, the more I realized that what most pets needed wasn't just care — it was understanding. Dogs who pulled on leash, dogs who panicked at the vet, puppies whose owners felt overwhelmed. The common thread was always the same: the human needed coaching just as much as the dog needed training.

So I shifted. A1 Critter Sitters became A1 Critter Sitters & Training, focused entirely on in-home, 1-on-1 dog training. Force-free. Science-based. Built around real-life routines, not sterile classrooms.

Then the bigger vision came.

I kept seeing the same need everywhere — shelter dogs waiting for purpose, veterans searching for connection, families looking for support. The training work I was doing every day and the gaps I kept witnessing in the community were the same problem, just showing up in different places.

That realization became A Paw Forward Retreat — a retreat where shelter dogs, veterans, children, and families come together to heal, grow, and move forward. One step. One paw. One life at a time.