My name is Angel Carlson and I’m the website & social media manager at Pack of Paws. My job role includes all facets of marketing and communication, including maintaining the website, connecting with our clients through Facebook and newsletters, and designing print marketing.

I’ve always had a soft spot for animals – one of my mother’s favorite stories was about the baby skunk I “rescued” from the cat as a child – but my passion for dogs began a decade ago, when I volunteered to socialize and train puppies for NEADS, Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans.

In 2009, with my NEADS experiences in mind, I brought home my first dog, LuLu.  We immediately started puppy classes with Pack of Paws, and with Donna’s coaching, Lu and I were able to earn our Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title and become a Therapy Dog team just after her first birthday. Lu LOVES learning, and we have tried everything together – Nose Work, Canine Freestyle, Agility, and most recently, we earned our AKC Advanced Trick Dog Title.

I adopted my second dog, Wally, in 2010. Wally loves fetch and has taken classes in Flyball, which was great for improving his impulse control and focus. He now has the patience to let me balance just about anything on his short little snout!

My soft spot for saving the underdog brought me into the rescue world, where I fell in love with fostering special needs dogs. I adopted one of my most special foster dogs in 2012. When he passed away in 2016, there was a huge hole left in my heart. That’s when I found 4 year old Bean, who had just lost his owner and was seeking a home of his own.

Bean was very poorly socialized in puppyhood and is fearful of everything. I am currently working Donna to help Bean boost his self-confidence and resolve his anxiety. He’s come a long way in the short time that we’ve had him and I enjoy watching him blossom into the friendly, confident dog I know he can be!