Melissa Royer, Neighbor

Melissa K Royer CCMT Owner Maoilíosa Kennels

My love of dogs began at a very young age. I was rarely seen without a creature or pet as a child. As a teenager I worked on a farm caring for Arabian horses and retired race track horses. I rode competitively in local shows and continued to ride throughout my mid 20's. I have over the years rescued and trained many dogs from strays to shelter dogs, as well as rehabilitate dogs from illness and injury. Four years ago I began to learn about precision dog training which includes schutzhund , PSA, and scent detection. I purchased my first sport dog three and a half years ago and have loved every moment of learning and training. Currently, I have decided to use my love of science to further my kinesiology degree to include canine massage. I believe this will be a great contribution to dogs in sport, injured, or who otherwise could use a bit of TLC. In addition to my love of animals is my uncanny ability to capture spectacular moments on film or digital devices. I currently shoot with a Nikon D800 and a variety of lenses. I had my first camera when I was 6 and flashes were ice cube looking devices that rotated on top of the camera making everyone's eyes red. I have evolved with the technology and can not imagine having to shoot on film. I try to get my shots as perfect as possible without having to use a lot of editing software, but when I do I have found that Lightroom works best for what I am looking for in my images.