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, their Golden Retriever, Cooper and our English Cream Retriever, Cammie. 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.
Alicia Andrianus
Director of Operations, Expert 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.
Stephanie Facciola
Director of Operations, Media Director, Expert 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
Expert 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!
Konstantinos Giazitzoglou
Dog Hiker
Konstantinos began his passion for learning and working with K-9‘s while serving time overseas in the Marine Corps. During his operations, he saw the unique and skillful way canines were able to aid the troops overseas by detecting explosives, enemy insurgents and simultaneously, saving lives. It then became clear to him that dogs really are a man’s best friend!
Catie Onorato
Manager, Media Director, Dog Hiker
Catie was born and raised in southern CT and loves to hike all over the East Coast with her German Shepherd rescue Lenny by her side. She is a Uconn graduate who majored in History and Political Science before switching gears to pursue a career in fashion. After seven years in the industry, she is ready for a career that involves two of the greatest gifts life has to offer: nature and dogs! When Catie is not hiking she can be found crafting at home or seeking out live music.
Sarah Bonomo
Manager, Dog Trainer & Hiker
Sarah was born and raised in Westchester, NY. She‘s always had a love for animals and when she was nine years old her family adopted their first puppy, Diesel. Growing up together, Sarah became interested in dog behavior by observing and trying to understand Diesel’s "problem" behaviors. She pursued her passion for animals at SUNY Oswego, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and completed her thesis which analyzed the stress levels of shelter dogs. Afterwards, she became a Certified Dog Trainer through CATCH Canine Trainers Academy. In her free time, Sarah volunteers at a local dog rescue and helps with training and attends adoption events. She also enjoys working out and getting coffee with her friends.
Kelly Hendricks
Dog Hiker
Kelly was born in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. Her love for animals started with her first two dogs, Chocolate and Molly. It was at this time that Kelly learned the love and devotion it took to care for animals. During college, Kelly would visit local animal shelters while studying for her English degree at Sacred Heart University. In her free time Kelly loves spending time with her friends, working out, and of course, spending time with her pets!
Samanth Easton
Dog Hiker
Samantha grew up in Warwick, NY. Only recently did she move to Stamford, CT. She did not have a family dog while growing up which is the root of her deep love and dedication to dogs. Samantha received her Masters degree in Social Work at Ramapo College of NJ earlier this year but has decided to put her dream of becoming a therapist on hold in order to spend her time as a dog hiker. Samantha now has two dogs, Fluffy and Molly, who she describes as her best friends. Samantha enjoys spending her free time skiing, kayaking and hiking with her pups.
Kathryn Buis
Dog Hiker
Kathryn grew up on the East Coast, with brief forays to the West Coast after college. She attended Harvard University, competing in springboard diving on a national level and graduating with a degree in Economics & Comparative Government. Her interests include hiking (and swimming) with dogs, reading, gardening and doing the Sunday crossword puzzle. Her recent creative projects include learning how to weld steel into outdoor sculptures and casting garden pots out of concrete. Her love of dogs came later in life, after adopting the family’s first dog when her twins were born. She and her family current have two rescues, Leo and Astra, who are avid and experienced off leash hikers.
Joanna Nevins
Dog Hiker
Joanna grew up on a farm in Bedford, NY and now lives in Ridgefield, CT. She always had lots of pets, dogs, cats, ducks and even a pig. She graduated from Pace University with a major is Biology and a minor in Criminal Justice. Her interests include the outdoors, hiking, yoga, activism, gardening and being with her pets. For her 40th birthday present to herself, Joanna decided to leave the corporate world to pursue her passion for animals and her love of the outdoors.
Pawel Potapowicz
Dog Hiker
Pawel was born in Poland but grew up in Port Chester, NY. He graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2014 and has been working with dogs since then. Prior to joining Active Dog, Pawel spent the last 3 years training dogs with the invisible fence containment system. He also has previous experience working with large groups of dogs and enjoys off-leash hiking with his German Shepherd, Mila.