Getting Acquainted
I can’t recall a day when I wasn’t obsessed with animals. As a little girl, my sister, Sandy, and I had the typical family pets, a beagle named “Peggy,” and a couple of cats. “Tigger” was the best cat ever, and he was with me until I went off to college. Over the years, the collection evolved, of course. In junior high, I won some money on an essay contest and convinced Mom that we needed a dog, since we’d lost Peggy a couple of years
previous. Along came Sheena “Boofers,” our adorable and mischievous little buff cocker spaniel. She was
awesome!
For years, our grandfather raised exotic rabbits, pheasants, and ponies. Perhaps he’s responsible for my interminable animal obsession. Thank you, Papa!
I remember when Sandy and I came home with an entire litter of kittens that we found stranded in the bushes near our home. Mom wasn’t overjoyed, but she couldn’t resist two pairs of puppy-dog eyes. We figured she was outnumbered, and we won. It 
didn’t hurt that they were beautiful, long-haired, and adorable. Mom’s favorite
is long-haired calico, and there just happened to be one in the litter. She wasn’t pleased, though, when the little guys
decided to use our braided ficas tree as a litter box. The ficas was history.
Of course, I’d thought for years about being a veterinarian. Going off to college, though, I wasn’t so sure. I went to school, leaving Mom and Sandy with the entourage. I figured Sandy could handle things with Mom for a couple of years until she graduated too. As I was finishing my undergraduate work in psychology, I knew that I wanted a career in animal services, and researched until I found the best teaching zoo in the country.
Moorpark College in Moorpark, California was my graduate venture. It was an amazing experience from the very first day. Learning how to manage and train exotic animals was wonderful. 
During my studies, I was fortunate
to work at Marine World Africa USA, where I learned about big cats with Ron Whitfield.
I also worked with Animal Actors of Hollywood – Gibbon Research Center – Dogworks Schutsund Dog Protection Training – Santa Barbara Zoo – Greater Los Angeles Zoo – and graduated with 
certifications from Simi Valley Wildlife Animal Rehabilitation, and Exotic Animal Training/Management.
Mom was a bit nervous when I tried to adopt a cockatiel at my graduation… and when she saw me feeding a lioness by hand. I have no idea why she was so concerned…
When I returned home to Cape Cod after graduation, planning my animal career was my next priority. I’ve pretty much integrated my obsession with both domestic and wild animals ever since.
Very soon after I arrived, living in my own place by then, I became the animal officer in my town – my first local animal services job! Meanwhile, my cousin Steve was off at college and it seemed that the administration
there didn’t like his ball python living in their dormitory. Steve had to leave him with me for awhile. Darn… That was about fifteen years ago, and a while hasn’t seemed to pass yet. Lobo is still with us. (It seems that Mom’s sister wouldn’t have a snake in her house.) They just don’t get it. Lobo is very docile, and very lovable!
Before long, Lobo and I, along with my new puppy, “Bailey,” and a couple more cats, decided to try living in a new area – I took a new position as animal officer in rural Virginia and planned to open my own kennel there.
Circumstances prevented that, and I eventually returned to Cape Cod – with all of the above, plus Babe (my adopted doberman), five more cats, two more snakes, an iguana, a cage of rats (snake food), and a trampoline… to Mom’s house, of course - I told her it was the beginning of my own zoo. The trampoline was just a bonus!
I really enjoyed working next at both the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, and at the Cape Cod ZooQuarium, where my nephew Garrett (picture above) got a great big kiss from Willow, the sea lion.
These days I’m being a mom ( daughters, Cassandra and Autumn above
with Lobo) while working in pet day care and dog obedience training. Our two year-old German Shepherd,
Tessla, is our newest addition. We house up to thirty dogs a day in a rural Cape Cod setting, and work with some of them on obedience training during their stay.
I continue to plan my eventual zoo with help from my daughters. Lobo and Bailey are still with us, along with a new collection of cats, fish, frogs, gecko, bearded dragon, and… there must be more…
Stacia A. Ness
Certified Exotic Animal Training and Management
Certified Wildlife Rehabilitation
Moorpark Teaching Zoo
Moorpark, CA