Eric Bleile
Founder, Owner, Dog Hiker
Originally from Maine, Eric grew up in the great outdoors where he and his family always had dogs. Eric founded Active Dog in 2011 with his right hand dog, Tobias. Tobias was a 140 pound, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog who loved to hike! He was a gentle giant, an amazing companion and crossed the rainbow bridge at the age of 10.5, on Easter morning of this year.
Eric currently lives in Weston, Connecticut with his wife Tara, son Casen and their Golden Retriever, Cooper. Eric enjoys playing golf, skiing and performing with his modern-country band, Hazzard County. He has a graduate degree in Financial Risk Management from the University of Connecticut.
Emma Wheelhouse
Media Director, Manager, Hiker
Originally from England, Emma moved to Cos Cob, Connecticut three years ago, with her husband and two sons, Elliott and Oliver. She got her first dog, a Yorkshire terrier, when she was only a year old and has had dogs as a family pet ever since. Emma currently has a Goldendoodle named Chester. Emma has been dog walking for over three years and has a true affinity for the job.
Jane Pluhowski
Dog Hiker
Growing up in the Hudson Valley, Jane’s menagerie of pets fostered an ever growing love of animals. After receiving her Bachelors degree in Animal Science from Cornell University and her degree in Veterinary Technology, she worked with an array of animals including marine mammals, wildlife, livestock, exotics and our feline and canine companions. She is a NY state licensed veterinary technician and is certified as a canine rehabilitation therapist. Jane leads a life full of adventure and travel and spends most of her time outdoors with her three dogs.
Jessica Giannitti
Dog Hiker
Jessica grew up in Norwalk, CT and currently resides in Fairfiled, CT with her daughter Tiana and 2 year old rescue dog, Sadie. Jessica moved to Fairfield in 2003 when Tiana was born. Prior to working for Active Dog, she spent 12 years working in Manhattan in the hospitality business. Jessica‘s love for dogs started as a child. Her family always had dogs in the house and as you can see, not much has changed! When she’s not hanging out with puppies, Jessica loves to spend time at the beach and traveling to as many new places as she can.
Colleen Kithcart
Dog Hiker
Originally from Athens Pennsylvania, Colleen recently moved to Stamford to live with her long time boyfriend. Colleen graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Technology with an AD in Early Education in 2016. She grew up spending a lot of time outdoors, participating in motocross, track & field , and softball and volunteered at a local SPCA near campus throughout college. Her first family dog was a sweet, gentle Alaskan Malamute named Alex who she loved very much. Growing up her family had many different breeds of dogs, varying from Labradors to Jack Russel Terriers. Colleen also enjoys traveling, writing and spending time with her beloved family.
Monica Palencia-Prieto
Dog Hiker
Monica grew up in Stamford CT. She is a proud mom/owner to three rescued cats, Sammy, Khaleesi and Ciggy. Her love for animals started at a young age when she found her first pet Sammy abandoned in a cardboard box. Even though she only has felines she has an undying love for all animals of all species. She is currently a student at Norwalk Community College and is working towards a degree in Biology where she can apply her love of animals to build a career as a wildlife biologist. She enjoys a wide variety of outdoor activities including hiking, kayaking and exploring new places.
Pedro Landrau
Dog Trainer & Hiker
Born and raised in Springfield, MA, Pedro moved to Stamford 2 years ago. From Labs to Chihuahuas, Shepherds to St. Bernards, Poodles to Pitbulls, Pedro has lived most of his life around or with multiple breeds of dogs. Pedro also enjoys hiking, CrossFit and teaching Judo classes in his spare time. Aside from being a dog hiker Pedro is a Chaplains Assistant in the Army reserves.
Claire Berdik
Dog Hiker
Claire grew up in the Hudson Valley, but has spent the past year traveling the US and Europe. She has supported her ventures by walking and taking care of dogs wherever she goes. Meeting dogs and their families from all over is one of her favorite experiences while traveling. Claire currently resides in Sleepy Hollow, NY, and recently obtained her Wilderness EMT certification in Wyoming. In her free time, she loves rock climbing, hiking, spending as much time as possible outdoors, and of course, hanging out with dogs.
Alicia Andrianus
Dog Hiker
Alicia grew up on the East Coast loving everything outdoors. Her love for dogs was not discovered until she moved to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The island was highly populated with dogs that had no where to go. There was one dog that stuck out to her--Mr. Mac who seems to be part Hound, Jack Russell, Dachshund. Mr. Mac was just a few weeks old when she took him in. After that, Alicia dedicated her life to the quote, "I work hard so my dog has a better life". Alicia also enjoys hiking, coffee, succulents, gardening and the state of Colorado.
Paul King
Dog Trainer & Hiker
Originally from Chicago, IL, Paul’s love of dogs began as a child with his family’s loveable and rambunctious terrier rescue. After deciding to make a career transition some years ago, he began as a dog walker and immediately fell in love. Having moved to North Carolina, he continued to pursue this passion by taking on a position as the general manager of a dog daycare and boarding facility. Most recently, after moving back to Connecticut, he has expanded his knowledge and experience into the realm of dog training. He also happens to have a healthy obsession with the great outdoors and has hiked on trails and climbed mountains all over the US and while traveling abroad. Just this past summer, he and his wife took their 2 1/2 year old pit bull mix, Althea, on her first multi-day backpacking trip in the Dolly Sods Wilderness of West Virginia and plan on making it the first of many!
Tiffany Knapp
Dog Hiker
Tiffany grew up in Southern California, always hiking / camping on the weekends with her family. After graduating from the Art Institute with a degree in design, Tiffany and her now husand moved to New York City where she worked in fashion for 7 years. Now living in Connecticut with their two goldendoodles Astor and Winston, Tiffany wants to share her love for dogs and nature. Her off time is spent doing Crossfit competitions, traveling, cooking, and anything active.
Stephanie Facciola
Dog Hiker
Stephanie grew up in Garnerville, NY and currently lives in White Plains. She was brought up in a family of dog lovers and has been around dogs for her entire life. Stephanie graduated from SUNY Oneonta with a degree in Graphic Design. Her interests include hiking, the beach, and photography. She likes to spend her free time exploring new places and finding that perfect shot. Stephanie decided to leave the corporate world to pursue her passion for animals and her love of the outdoors.
Cristen Heavens
Dog Hiker
Originally from Connecticut, Cristen lived in Boston and NYC before moving back to her home state. She lives on a boat with her boyfriend in Stamford and enjoys the freedom and challenges that come with living aboard. Following her passion for education policy, she graduated with a masters degree in public policy in 2015. Cristen was raised by a family that encouraged her to love all animals, and she has wonderful childhood memories with her many furry siblings. She loves being active, rock climbing, yoga, reading, DIY projects, and swapping dog stories!
Christine Andre
Dog Hiker
Christine grew up in New Jersey and spent a lot of her childhood with family in Portugal. Raised around farm animals and dogs, she felt a connection to their compassionate personalities and knew that she wanted to make a difference in their life too. She graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Nonprofit Development and is passionate about sustainability, alternative medicine, holistic nutrition and animal rights. During her free time she loves to spend time with friends rock climbing, mountain biking, cooking and doing anything outdoors with her rescue pups Lucky and Mavie!