Adam Parker, D.V.M.

Dr. Adam Parker is co-owner of Porter Square Veterinarian, the primary sponsor and originator of the Somerville Dog Festival. He graduated from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and has been active with the dog-owning community of Somerville since 1996 and is a strong proponent of healthy companion animal- human relationships and pet ownership.

Marjie Alonso, CDBC, CPDT, KPA CTP

Marjie Alonso is a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant living in Somerville, MA., with her two dogs and two sons.

The foundation of Marjie’s training and behavior work is practical, thoughtful, relationship-based communication between dog and human. She uses positive reinforcement and tailor-made solutions that address both her canine and human clients’ needs. Her goal is to engender understanding and cooperation between dog and handler, and to do so with humor, patience, and a sense of each individual’s needs and best path to success.

Marjie is the Executive Director of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. In addition to her previous work at City Dog Training (now retired), she served as behavioral consultant to the New England Dog Training Club, where she developed curriculum for puppy and beginner “steps” classes, special classes and the club’s first internship program. She was a mentor trainer for Animal Behavior College, and was appointed to the American Humane Association’s Advisory Board for companion animal training and behavior.

Marjie served as a behavioral trainer for various dog rescue groups, providing rescue dog acclimation programs, one-on-one training sessions, behavior modification programs, phone and e-mail consults to fosters and adopters. She writes training and behavior information sheets, providing them to veterinary offices and dog rescues and shelters as handouts for clients and adopters.

Marjie is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT), a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, a Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and is a Certified Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).

Jill Hourihan

Treasurer