Melissa grew up in what she affectionately calls, "an accidental dog sledding family". She's been a positive reinforcement dog trainer and canine behavior consultant for nearly 20 years in the Northeast and is the everything-er of BewilderBeasts! (Research, host, editor, all of it!). She blogged for CarTalk, wrote a column for Maine Dog Magazine, and is the author of "Considerations for the City Dog." She's the ignorant co-host on Totally Pawsome Pod with her veterinarian bestie, Dr. Sip Siperstein.

Melissa loves coffee, hates pickles, and can polish off a whole bag of BBQ chips in a sitting. She will happily talk about animals all day long, especially her dog, Captain Love, and her new flock of sometimes ungrateful, but always sassy chickens.