Susan Bennison of Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton
I write this letter of recommendation to highlight my experiences and the many fine abilities of Marjie Alonso. I have had the pleasure of working with Marjie since January, 2007. I knew from my very first conversation with her that she was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about animal behavior.
As the director of Baypath Humane Society’s pit bull placement and foster program, I rely on my foster homes to no not only house our dogs, but to help assess the dogs’ personalities and behavioral needs. Since most of our dogs have unknown and diverse backgrounds, the transition period into a new foster home can often pose many challenges for our foster parents. Marjie has worked closely with me and many of my foster homes to help ease this transition process. I rely on Marjie to help me asses each dog and their new living situation and provide honest feedback and information about each placement as well as training exercises and tools for each foster home to use in order to make the dogs more adoptable and marketable.
Because all my foster homes differ in their levels of dog/breed knowledge and experience, and because every dog is so different, it is very important that I work with trainers who look at the entire situation carefully and who are skilled in their ability read dogs. Marjie is very consistent and thorough and she takes the time to get to know each client and gather as much information as she can about the dog’s new environment. She is creative and confident in her approach and I am always impressed with her knowledge and her abilities to read each situation differently and to develop training plans tailored to each dog’s and foster’s needs.
Marjie conducts herself in a very professional manner, but is also very entertaining and engaging. She is a wonderful teacher and her great sense of humor makes her very easy to relate to. Marjie is very detail oriented and makes herself available via email or telephone when extra help is needed. She also provides handouts and helpful reading materials to her clients to refer to after their sessions.
Marjie does a wonderful job communicating her thoughts and ideas to me. Each time she meets with one of my fosters, I receive a detailed description of the session. She is very honest and I trust her judgment and value her opinions. She always follows up on a dog’s progress and success as well.
I have had only positive experiences with Marjie and have found her to be very helpful in providing information, advice and opinions about dog behavior to me and to my foster and adoptive families. It is a joy to work with Marjie and she is someone I can recommend with confidence.
Sincerely,
Susan Bennison, President
Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton, Inc.