Karen, Bobbi and Mary assist our vets with their administrative duties at our head office and are usually the first point of contact for our clients. Karen and Bobbi are also highly experienced, qualified trainer so they know just the right questions to ask you when you call to make an enquiry. As well as manning the phones, our admin team work ‘behind the scenes’ to ensure that our vets receive all documentation before initial consultations, communicate with referring vets and trainers, and manage client accounts.
Karen Riddell
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner
Qualified Behavioural Trainer & Office Manager
Karen is an experienced behavioural trainer who works in our office from Monday to Friday. Karen is also our office manager.
Karen’s love of dogs was in the family with her grandparents competing in Conformation and Obedience with their Weimaraners. Her grandfather gave her Dena, her very own Weimaraner and she started at the local dog club at 9 years of age. This was the beginning of a hobby that she has never grown out of and has turned into a profession.
Qualifications and Experience
Karen has completed Karen Pryor Dog Trainer Professional Course, and many online training courses including those run by Fenzi Academy, Silvia Trkman, and Dr Sarah Heath’s Cat Behaviour course run by the Centre for Veterinary Education. Karen has been to countless training conferences over the years organised by the APDT, PPG and Getting-to-Zero in order to keep her education up-to-date.
Karen is passionate about animal welfare and helping people to understand how their dogs are feeling and to facilitate improved communication between dogs and their people. She has worked in Behaviour at both RSPCA and Animal Welfare League NSW and has extensive experience with anxious dogs in the shelter and foster home environment.
Karen has lived with and competed in a variety of dog sports with several different breeds of dogs. Her dogs have attained Agility and Obedience titles and also placed in Agility in National, as well as at the Roya Easter Show. Her chihuahua Chad was the first Chihuahua in Australia to gain multiple Agility titles. Chad also starred as one of the dogs in the professional stage production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Sydney where Karen was the handler and trainer of the 10 dogs in the production.
Karen adopted a rescue dog with an anxiety disorder and understands the amount of time and the emotional cost of helping these dogs to live their best lives. At 8 years of age, Nibbler is now a happy and integral part of Karen’s family and has come a long way from the puppy mill where he started life.
Other interests
Whilst dogs are Karen’s first love, she was also the inaugural President of the Australian Rodent Fancier’s Society of NSW and has judged Pet Rats at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. She currently shares her life with her husband, chihuahua and Belgian malinois which means that life is remarkably busy but lots of fun.
Bobbi Burgmann
Cert IV Companion Animal Services
Qualified Trainer & Veterinary Administrative Assistant
After more than 30 years working in the health care, Bobbi was motivated to complete a Cert IV in Companion Animals to learn about the human-animal bond. It was during this time she was given the opportunity to initially assist and later lead group classes and in-home lessons with puppies, adolescent and adult dogs.
Bobbi has attended conferences, workshops and many online training courses run by Pet Professional Guild Australia, Peta Clarke, Suzanne Friedmann, Fenzi Academy, and Suzanne Clothier to better understand animal behaviour and to ensure that the human-animal relationship is one built on trust and respect.
Bobbi is also a mindDOG Assessor and preferred trainer.
Other Interests
Bobbi lives with 2 old moggies, Ziggy and Poppet, her beloved Cydi (Golden Retriever x standard poodle), her husband and 2 adult sons. In her spare time, Bobbi likes to get “dirty” in the garden, nurturing and in awe of the roses and dahlias when they flower.
Mary Sekuloski
Diploma of Business (Human Resources)
Veterinary Administrative Assistant
Mary is our longest serving employee, having been with Pet Behaviour Vet since its inception! She is an experienced office administrator, with over ten years of experience working in a busy corporate office prior to joining us. She is a casual and helps out behind the scenes in our office where she can.
Until recently, Mary owned a bull terrier called Archie and an American staffordshire called Zara, both of whom were patients of Pet Behaviour Vet, so she completely understands what it’s like to have a pet who needs special help. Mary now owns a very calm and friendly groodle named Harry.