At Diversity K9, we look for passionate individuals who truly love dogs and have hands-on experience handling a wide range of breeds and temperaments.
We are committed to building a team that values compassion, patience, and the skills to work effectively with all types of dogs.
Meet Tracy
Tracy Cooksey, Head Trainer here at Diversity K9 Services, LLC has over 20 years’ experience working with a variety of animals. During that time frame, she actively worked as a Veterinary Technician gaining a strong understanding of animal anatomy, physiology, and behavior.
Quickly she realized that training was her passion and continued her career with Joel Slaven Professional Animals where she trained over 100 domestic animals and performed in the Pets Ahoy Show at SeaWorld.
Her training covers a multitude of areas that includes behavior modification, obedience, and specialty training. Tracy has earned a reputation throughout Orlando as a highly qualified dog trainer and her desire is to see every dog become a well-balanced member of your family!
Meet Stephanie
Stephanie is an Assistant Trainer here at Diversity K9! She is currently a student working towards getting her Bachelors in Animal Health and Behavior, and formerly volunteered for OCAS and Happy Trails Animal Rescue.
Since she was young, her dream has always been to help animals in need. Growing up as the oldest of 7 children, Animal Planet was her outlet from the world and shows including Crocodile Hunter (RIP Steve <3), Animal Precinct, Animal Cops and Pit Bulls & Parolees really inspired and shaped her career path. Seeing the passion that the people on these shows have for animals and how much of a difference they made for the animals they saved has stuck with her.
Her goal is to do as much possible to make a difference in the rescue community, help rescue dogs with behavior challenges overcome them, and find their forever homes.
Meet Kate
With a background deeply rooted in the world of horses Kate translates her knowledge of animal behavior and training into the realm of dogs.
After being hired as a kennel tech Kate quickly fell in love with learning how to work and build trusting relationships with all of the dogs. Kate bonded with one dog in particular who was completing a behavior modification board and train at Diversity which solidified her interest in becoming a trainer.
Driven by a genuine love for animals and a desire to make a positive impact in their lives, Kate has transitioned her passion from equines to canines, embarking on a journey to become a proficient dog trainer with Diversity K9.
Meet Nicole
Nicole’s lifelong passion for animal behavior began in childhood and led her to earn degrees in animal science, occupational therapy, and veterinary medical sciences. She has worked with everything from reining horses to exotic animals, and conducted research on service dogs for veterans with disabilities.
Active in the Central Florida rescue community for the past ten years, she spent five years building Happy Trails Animal Rescue as the Vice President into one of the largest rescues and community resource centers in Central Florida, and now specializes in helping challenging fosters thrive.
Nicole is also involved in African wild dog conservation, volunteers in Namibia, and is certified in canine evaluation and therapy. She brings a unique blend of clinical, training, and rescue experience to her work at DK9.