Biography
Debbie is an animal trainer, creator and producer. Her love of all animals started as a young girl, and has continued throughout her life, and she began her plight with dogs as an apprentice to a service dog trainer. These years of hands on experience, propelled her into a career as a professional dog trainer. In 1993, she started showing Siberian Huskies in AKC confirmation and obedience competition. Adoring all aspects of the breed, she formed a sled dog race team with 25 of her huskies, competing in short distance sprint racing. After working several years in the movie industry, in 1995 she founded Paws for Effect, a full service animal company. Debbie brings the magic of animals from the set to the big screen in commercials and movies. She has compiled an impressive list of credits with celebrities including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams and Robert Downey, Jr. With the release of Disney's Iron Will in 1994, she appeared as a special guest with her Husky Beau (who starred in the movie) at a fundraiser hosted at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. It was here that she had her epiphany. Seeing the smiles and joy in the children as they interacted with Beau, and the enchantment and capacity of their impact, was simply life changing. She knew that bringing movie star dogs to visit and work with sick and underprivileged children was her calling, and "Dream Fetchers" began its business existence in 2005. Debbie is constantly striving to make a difference not in just the film world, but in the world of those who need it the most. To further enhance her passion for assisting the needs of children, Sugar Baby Entertainment was formed in 2012. It is a production company with the sole purpose of developing and producing children's educational programming for television and movies. Together with her Dream Team Staff and Dream Fetcher dogs, she is committed to making a difference in the lives of children of all ages and abilities one paw at a time.
