Valerie is a passionate advocate for enhancing well-being for caretakers within the animal world. While the majority of her 20+ year animal care career was spent training exotic animals in zoos and aquariums, she also has experience in a variety of other settings, including veterinary clinics, animal shelters, and dog training. Like so many others in animal care, Valerie experienced burnout and compassion fatigue, eventually leaving the career that had once been her dream job.
Her journey took a transformative turn upon discovering Veterinary Social Work—a field focused on the human side of human-animal interactions. She understood firsthand the profound impact this kind of support could have, and a new dream job was born. Valerie now actively raises awareness and develops resources to support the growing and expansive field of Veterinary Social Work.
Valerie graduated from the University of Tennessee with her Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) and a Veterinary Social Work Certificate. She currently serves as the Director of Partnerships for the International Association of Veterinary Social Work (IAVSW), offers dog and cat training sessions as a Behavior Consultant, and leads Human Support Services for Insight Animal Behavior Services (a DACVB practice). Additionally, she provides psychoeducation and consulting through Valerie Bogie, LLC. She is excited to bring Veterinary Social Work to ClickerExpo Live 2026!
Learn more about Valerie on her LinkTree, on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, or on LinkedIn.