My pet-related career began when at the age of just three years old; I found a nest of baby rabbits on a walk one day and brought them home. My poor mother must have been astonished when I began pulling rabbits out of my jacket pockets like a magician pulls them out of a hat. I was hooked and after that things just seemed to follow me home.
My first real career in the pet industry began in Evanston, Illinois in 1976, when I was hired and worked for Elsinger’s Pet Shop. Since then I have managed three different pet shops in the Chicago area. I was actually the office manager for the Aquarium Professionals Group in Evanston, a company that builds and maintains custom aquariums; when I got an offer to work for my brother here in Minnesota.
I became interested in nutrition for dogs and cats because I began seeing a lot of feeding issues with my customer’s animals. I found out that many veterinarians only have somewhat limited nutrition training in vet school, unless they go into that field. I wanted to help my customers, so I began learning everything I could on my own. I was very lucky to have a few veterinary mentors, who helped with my education and I became fairly well-versed in canine and feline nutrition. The local veterinarians in the area began sending their clients to me for my help with nutrition, when they had exhausted all their ideas. I currently hold a Pet Nutrition Consultant Certificate, and am the Owner/Consultant of Bently’s Beasties. I am also a second degree Reiki practitioner.
I am currently the Operations Manager of the WNR Company, which is based in Los Angeles, California and take care of the office. I am also the executive producer for Wendy’s Animal Talk, an Internet radio show that airs live on Tuesday afternoons from 1:00pm to 2:00pm Pacific Time on HealthyLife.net. As executive producer, I research the talent or product we are interested in, schedule the guest, send out confirmation and question letters and make up the weekly show sheet for Wendy’s show. I am also in charge of the monthly newsletter for Wendy’s Animal Talk.
As well as having two blogs of my own on the Internet and writing for our company newsletter and blogs, I felt that CANIDAE's Responsible Pet Ownership blog was right up my alley, so I applied for the position. I am very happy to say that they felt the same, and I was hired. I look forward to working with them and if you have any suggestions for things you would like to see in the future, feel free to contact me. I can be reached at: thedogs8myemail@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your help.
I love spending time in nature, hunting agates on the shore of Lake Superior, gardening and sitting in my yard watching the local wildlife. I live on a farm in Minnesota with my boyfriend Steve; an American Staffordshire Terrier named Skye, numerous chickens, cats, and a small flock of geese.
Ruthie Bently
