Ashley LaPenta – Veterinary Technician
I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2015 with my Bachelor’s in Animal Science. While I was in school I worked at a veterinary clinic as a technician, and I am still working there part time. While finishing up my degree at UConn, I discovered canine rehabilitation and I was fortunate enough to get in touch with Debbie and have been working with her and the rest of the Wizard of paws staff since I graduated. I have fallen in love with canine rehab, and now I cannot imagine my life without it!! I’ve always been very drawn to animals and always knew I wanted to work with them but, I hadn’t quite found my niche until I found canine rehab and Wizard of Paws! I am now currently taking classes to get my veterinary technician license (LVT) and my Canine Rehab certification (CCRP), which I hope to complete by the end of 2019.
I, too, have animals of my own. My little shepherd/basenji mix, Nala, is a delight and a handful at 8 months old but I love her so much and will probably talk about her a lot. I also have two cats that live at home, Mackenzie and Lily. Both are getting up there in age at 11 and 16 respectively, but both are still very loving when they want to be, as cats often are.
While I was in college I played softball, and so I was very familiar with physical therapy for myself and the field really interested me, and when I discovered that there was a way to help animals in the same way I was amazed. Combining two of my passions into one has created my dream job!! I feel so honored and privileged to be apart of this team and helping dogs achieve the best quality of life possible!