Alicia Obando: Helping Families and Pets Stay Together Through Pitter Patter Parenting
Jamie talks to Alicia Obando, founder of Pitter Patter Parenting, about how she combined her degree in counseling psychology and background in community organization with her love of animals in a way that has materially impacted the ability of pets and their families to live together in a safe, responsible, and mutually respectful way.
BIO:
Alicia received her masters in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Children and Adolescents and practiced as a child and family therapist for several years. She left the field to go work in politics, hoping to bring about positive change for families and communities. During this time she had begun volunteering at an animal shelter and became very involved in Chicago's animal welfare community. She then left politics to follow her passion for helping animals. She first worked at Chicago's oldest and largest animal shelter and then at the largest Chicago Veterinary ER and Specialty Center for several years. She also continued to volunteer with children and ran a Kids Block Club for many years. She has participated in hundreds of hours of continuing education on veterinary care, pet behavior, communication and training. She is a certified pet loss counselor and is certified in Child and Canine First Aid and CPR. In 2012, she founded the non-profit, Pets Are Like Family. It is an all volunteer run organization that helps pet parents with limited resources take care of their pets. As the head of this organization, she has been educating pet parents one on one, in a classroom setting and at community events. Over the years, Alicia has counseled hundreds of families regarding child care and pet care. In 2015 she created the company, Pitter Patter Parenting, to bring together her love of working with families and pets. Her mission is to help families manage kids and pets together safely; while honoring the bond that people have with their pets.