Melissa is originally from Rockford, IL. She moved to Colorado about 8 months ago. She has a bachelors degree in Animal Ecology and Wildlife Care from Iowa State University. She has worked as a veterinary technician on and off over the years. She took a break for a while and worked at a big cat rescue doing animal care and then spent 5 years teaching environmental education and recreation while also training and caring for raptors and reptiles. She has a passion for all creatures big and small. She currently has her own wonderful animal family that consists of a dog, 2 cats, and a beautiful boa constrictor.