The Wellsprings K9 Team
Sheila Wells
Sheila working with Jonah of the Seattle Police Department Canine Unit
Sheila Wells is a Licensed Massage Practitioner as well as a Small Animal Massage Practitioner. She created Wellsprings-K9, the very first Licensed Massage and Swim Therapy Facility in the U.S.and Canada, in 1995. Sheila’s background includes working as a Veterinarian Technician/Assistant, Registered Nurse, Forensic Autopsy Technician and a Licensed Massage Therapist for humans.
Skilled in Therapeutic Touch as well as a Reiki Master, Sheila has been engaged in massage and several other modalities of body and energy work on animals—mainly dogs—for the last 40 years.
Sheila and Wellsprings-K9 also provide therapy to other small animals. The media page includes a link to an article about Wellsprings-K9 on the Rabbit Rescue and Rehab website.
Emily McCullough
Emily with Pumkin, a 14-year old Pomeranian
Emily’s background includes volunteering at the Woodland Park Zoo where she worked at the Family Farm helping groom and socialize the animals involved in educational programs. This experience, her love of dogs, and her history of dance and movement therapies led her to become a Licensed Massage Practitioner with an endorsement in Small Animal Massage.
Emily joined Wellsprings-K9 team in 2005 after hearing personal accounts from clients of the benefits of water and massage therapy. She has a strong belief in the importance of combining massage with active and passive movement. Massage in the water for dogs with the combination of swimming was a perfect fit.
Outside of Wellsprings-K9, Emily practices treatment massage for humans at a chiropractic clinic.
Gretchen Dietz
Gretchen working with Gussy the Pug
After 23 years as a middle school teacher, Gretchen started her own dog-walking business in the fall of 2008 fulfilling a life-long desire to work (and play) with dogs. Her love of animals began when she was a small child allowed to pick out her first cat from a neighbor’s litter. Since then she has shared her life with variety of animals. While teaching in Port Townsend, Washington, Gretchen lived on a small farm where she raised and fostered sheep, llamas, and a number of dogs, cats, and a very loud parrot.
Gretchen, a Licensed Small Animal Massage Practitioner, has always had a desire to work compassionately with animals as well as with the people who love them. She feels her vast teaching experience has provided her with the patience and focus needed for therapeutic work with the dog clients of Wellsprings-K9. She is delighted and proud to be working with the Wellsprings K9 team.
Gretchen with her dog Rubin
Kim Rogers
Kim works with Tasha, a mixed breed
Kim is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Small Animal Massage Practitioner.
Prior to becoming a massage therapist, Kim worked in the veterinary field for more than nine years as a receptionist and a veterinary assistant. Kim became a massage therapist to honor her beliefs in enhancing healing for people and animals in an organic way. Her passion for all animals started when she rescued an abandoned baby bird at the age of eight.
When not at Wellsprings K9, Kim works at a massage/acupuncture clinic doing human massage. She currently shares her home with 1 three legged dog, 1 four legged dog, 2 cats, and 16 fish.
Kim is living her dream and is very excited to be part of the Wellsprings K9 team!
Kim with her dogs, Feebe and Federico
