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 Ashley
Ashley has known from an early age that she wanted to dedicate her life to working with animals. She studied Agriculture and Animal Science and began building a career centered around animal care, training, behavior, and welfare.
After moving to Orlando from California in 2017, Ashley gained experience working with an incredible variety of animals, from domestic and exotic species to marine mammals.
She began her career in Florida as a trainer at Animal Actors on Location!, where she hosted shows and assisted with training animals for television and film. After several years, she transitioned into a trainer role with Joel Slaven’s Professional Animals, performing in Pets Ahoy and helping train animals for shows throughout the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks.
Her passion for animal behavior eventually led her to the Dolphin Research Center, where she completed an internship working with dolphins and sea lions. Following her internship, Ashley joined SeaWorld Orlando’s Dolphin Team, where she spent four years working with dolphins through both public and private programs, presentations, and daily training.
Throughout her career, Ashley has developed a deep passion for animal behavior, welfare, and creating positive relationships between animals and the people who care for them.
Today, she brings that experience and passion to Diversity K9, where she continues to help dogs and their people build stronger, healthier relationships.
Ashley’s goal is simple: to create positive connections between people and their animals while inspiring others to better understand, care for, and advocate for the animals and the environments they call home.
We’re so lucky to have Ashley and her incredible experience as part of the Diversity K9 team!
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 a Bachelor’s in Animal Sciences, a Master’s in Veterinary Medical Sciences, and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, where she completed her doctoral research on the effectiveness of service dogs assisting veterans with disabilities. Being able to facilitate increased independence and quality of life through the incredible collaboration between humans and their furry partners brings together two of Nicole’s greatest missions: helping both people and dogs.
Active in the Central Florida rescue community for the past thirteen years, she spent five years building Happy Trails Animal Rescue as Vice President, helping it grow into one of the largest rescues and community resource centers in the region. She now provides one‑on‑one guidance and support to adoptive and foster families and their dogs.
Nicole is also involved in African wild dog conservation, traveling to Namibia to work with her team at KAWDCP, where they focus on human–wildlife conflict mitigation, education, and related initiatives. She brings a unique blend of clinical, training, and rescue experience to her work at DK9.