Jody Zesko is the owner and manager of The Inner Hound.
My interest in natural pet health began around 1998; being involved in natural health from a human perspective, it was an obvious progression to involve my dog. I cooked my dog's food, fed raw bones, saw a holistic vet who used homeopathy, herbs, and titer testing in place of annual vaccines. I also started clicker training, became Very interested in dog behavior...and very obsessed with unique dog collars and gear :)
I decided to leave my job as a Corporate Accountant in the oil & gas industry after 9-11-01; I guess I realized how short life is and I might as well do what I'm passionate about- work with dogs! I had the privilege of joining my wonderful, then dogwalker, now good friend, in her off leash dogwalking business. I also have a very supportive husband who encouraged me to make this change. From 2001- 2005 I walked packs of dogs and had a fabulous time learning more about dog behaviour, spending days outside and finally being my own boss! My two dalmatians at the time, Tee and Ripley were especially pleased with this new career choice. Not only was I learning about dog behaviour but because I felt I could improve upon my dog's health even more, I decided to try feeding a raw diet. This was 2002 and there were not a lot of resources out there so I learned from tons of reading and online research. The changes in my dogs were so remarkable, among them- FINALLY firm poop for Ripley, red tummy and itching gone from Tee, better breath, and better coats. I started sharing this way of feeding with others in the park and with dogwalking clients, there was so much interest that delivering the raw food directly to the customers was the next step. Once they started seeing the great results and telling more people, the idea to open a storefront in 2005 seemed like the next logical, but scary step.
Now 2011 and The Inner Hound is still helping some of the same customers that we once delivered to years ago. Seeing how gracefully their animals have aged over the years has made me so happy and proud and reinforced my belief in feeding a natural diet. With the many challenges that small independent businesses can have, that is what keeps me going and loving my job!
Sadly we lost Tee, my first dal, in 2009 to osteosarcoma- bone cancer. An awful way to lose a family member but she had the most incredibly healthy life and except for the last few days was not plagued by any illnesses. As your first dog usually does, Tee taught me so much and without knowing her I may not have had the courage to leave my accounting career to pursue my passion.
I currently have three dalmatians- Ripley 10yrs, Sawyer 6, and Audrey 1, nope I don't breed them, just love them :) When I'm not walking my dogs or researching new products for The Inner Hound, I love competing on my cutting horse, Lola. Horses are teaching me so many things on an even deeper level that I can't wait to see where this journey takes me!