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Meet the team! At Arfit Dog Rehab and Fitness, our team is the heart of everything we do. Each member brings a unique set of skills, expertise, and a shared passion for helping dogs live their happiest, healthiest lives. Our team works together to provide the best care for your furry family members. Get to know the people behind Arfit who are committed to making a difference—one wagging tail at a time!
Jessica Luciano, CVT, CCAT earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2020, driven by her lifelong love for animals. She began working at ARFIT in 2020 and completed the Arfit Mentoring Program for advanced clinical skills. In 2022, to further her education, Jessica graduated as valedictorian from Vet Tech Institute at Fox College and obtained her license as a CVT (Certified Veterinary Technician). She has then obtained her CCAT (Certified Companion Animal Therapist) certification from North Carolina State University and is a rehabilitation practitioner at ARFIT.
One of her favorite things about working at ARFIT is the bond she and her team form with their patients as well as seeing her patients progress every week. In her free time, Jessica enjoys traveling and caring for her two fur babies, Lucy & Touka.
Julie Digiovanna PT, CCAT graduated with a degree in physical therapy from Marquette University in 1990. Her 25 year career with humans was focused entirely on rehabilitation of orthopedic and sports medicine conditions. She has specialized training in manual therapy as well as postural alignment and respiration. She taught continuing education to physical therapists for many years on manual therapy and orthopedic rehabilitation.
After 9 years in a corporate healthcare role, Julie switched species and obtained a certificate in canine rehabilitation from NC State University. This certification allows Julie to combine her passion for helping dogs with her passion for helping others recover from orthopedic and neurological conditions and lead more pain free lives. She enjoys the relationships she makes with dogs and their owners and loves watching the progress the dogs make from a successful rehab program.
While her most recent dog Timber (Lab/Golden mix) is no longer with her, Julie volunteers with PAWS at their medical center and would like to foster dogs in the future.
Esmeralda Martinez-Sanchez (Esme) graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign with a bachelors degree in Animal Science. From volunteering at shelters to interning at animal hospitals, She’s worked with animals for the past 7 years and has been working at Arfit for almost 3.5 years. “It is very rewarding to be able to help all the fur-babies get better. Creating bonds with not only the patients but their owners will forever be fulfilling. I have a great love for animals and feel blessed to be here at Arfit! “.
Esme has also been trained in the advanced clinical exercise, the movement observation and the advanced laser / modality application programs taught at Arfit. She has a 4 year old German Shepherd/Pit-bull mix named Copper. Esme loves to travel, eat hot chicken sandwiches, and check out dog friendly patios/breweries with Copper!
Shannon Mullaney PTA (CCAT in process) is our newest addition to the Arfit team. She is currently pursuing her Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP) certification through the University Of Tennessee. She brings a strong foundation in physical therapy, working for over a decade as a physical therapist assistant in both skilled nursing and outpatient settings. Her transition from human to canine rehabilitation reflects her deep passion for animal care and therapeutic recovery. She has volunteered in various animal shelters and had dogs of her own throughout her life.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, particularly kayaking and exploring local forest preserves with her three senior rescue dogs.
Tod Miner, PT, CCRP, our founder, conceived the Arfit philosophy. Graduating with a Physical Therapy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1990, Tod has devoted his entire career to orthopedic and neurological physical rehabilitation. He has extensive continuing education training in manual therapy, trigger point release, spinal mobilization, spinal manipulation, dry needling and multiple hours of training in myofascial, craniosacral and manual therapy, muscle activation and instrument assisted manual therapy. He has multiple patent applications. Tod has lectured extensively on surface electromyography and contributed to equipment design and prototype development for several medical equipment companies, TENS companies and exercise equipment manufacturers, including BioPrompt, EFI / Total gym, EMPI and OPTP.
After undergoing Canine Rehabilitation Training and certification at the University of Tennessee in 2007, Tod began working with dogs. Within a few months, He began to think differently. Why not use proven human PT techniques like weight training and resistance exercises to stimulate muscle growth? Why not use human manual therapy techniques and dry needling for muscle and joint dysfunction. Why not give the dogs the most positive experience possible to accelerate healing through happiness? And thus, the ARFIT program was born.
We are glad to have had you meet the team! Don’t forget to check out Therapies We Provide page for more information, and our YouTube page for a bunch of great training and how-to videos!
The Arfit philosophy was conceived by our founder, Tod Miner, PT CCRP. Graduating with a Physical Therapy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1990, Tod has devoted his entire career to orthopedic and neurological physical rehabilitation. He has extensive continuing education training in manual therapy, trigger point release, spinal mobilization, spinal manipulation, dry needling as well as multiple hours of training in myofascial, craniosacral and manual therapy, muscle activation and instrument assisted manual therapy. He has multiple patent applications. Tod has lectured extensively on surface electromyography and contributed to equipment design and prototype development for several medical equipment companies, TENS companies and exercise equipment manufacturers including; BioPrompt, EFI / Total gym, EMPI and OPTP.
After undergoing Canine Rehabilitation Training and certification at the University of Tennessee in 2007, Tod began working with dogs. Within a few months, He began to think differently. Why not use proven human PT techniques like weight training and resistance exercises to stimulate muscle growth? Why not use human manual therapy techniques and dry needling for muscle and joint dysfunction. Why not give the dogs the most positive experience possible to accelerate healing through happiness? And thus, the ARFIT program was born.
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