Favorite movie featuring animals: Beastmaster (the original from 1982). To this day I still love the idea of going on an adventure with a group of animal friends that I can speak with.

Which superhuman power would you choose? Telekinesis. It would be like having a remote control for everything! 

Favorite part of working with animals?  All the different types, styles and colors, sometimes even within a single breed. I also find it interesting that so many pets and their owners often resemble each other in some way.

Where did you grow up?  Mostly the far North suburbs of Chicago but also a few years in Brussels, Belgium. Living in Europe as a child was a wonderful cultural experience. I got to visit 12 different countries during my time there and my mom is from Germany so we also got to visit her family a lot.

Best way to spend a Saturday:  sleep in, a leisurely reading and/or writing session, a visit to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, and a nice dinner followed by either hearing some live music or playing music with friends.