Meet Michelle Johnson- Assistant Manager

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 Hi, my name is Michelle & I am the assistant manager as well as one of the trainers here at Fissan. I started here in April of 2023 and have never looked back! I have always had a love and a passion for animals throughout my whole life, so I have continually surrounded myself with them; my life just wouldn't feel complete without them!

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I am from a rural town in Minnesota called New London, where I learned about all sorts of animals including: wildlife, farm animals, and domesticated pets. I grew up owning various critters and have never been without an animal in my home. A few highlights of my pets over the years include: dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, hamsters, a lamb, and fish. Currently I have four bunnies. two girls named Sage & Poppy and two boys named Gus & Bart. The girls are actually sisters and they are 2 year old Mini Lops. The boys are Holland Lops; Gus is about 7 years old & Bart is about 3 years old. They all live happily together in my home and wreak havoc on my baseboards. I love them dearly though and couldn't imagine how mess free and boring my life would be without them. At the moment I don't have a dog, but I would love to make that addition to my family hopefully in the near future.

 

Over the years I've had a lot of personal and professional experience with various types of animals. I helped train my childhood dog & took her through a couple obedience classes when I was young. In college I worked at a pet store called Pet Expo in Mankato where I broadened my knowledge on a wide variety of species and their behaviors, nutritional needs, enrichment activities, and natural habitats. That is also where I found my love for bunnies and have owned one ever since working there. I also started pet sitting during college and have continued to do that for about 5 years now. After graduating college I started working at NAMSA which is an animal research facility; I quickly realized that it was not a good fit for me, so shortly after I started working here at FTK & fit right in!

 

I started my formal education of animals in High School Ag Class & FFA. I then went on to get a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology with an emphasis in Zoology at Minnesota State Uni, Mankato. I enjoy observing animals and collecting data in order to maintain their health and understand more about a species. I have always had an interest in animal behavior and training, so working here has been such a great learning experience for me. It is also a very rewarding feeling to educate others on animals and pass crucial information to them, so they can better understand, care for, and train their animals. I treat every animal I encounter with compassion and the respect they deserve, whether they're my own pet or not. These are just some of the reasons why Fissan allows me to pursue my passions as an animal lover all while creating relationships and helping people at the same time. 

 

Carol, the owner of FTK, is very welcoming to the younger generations and is so willing to share her knowledge of dogs with us. She is such an amazing teacher to all ages and truly cares for each and every dog that comes through her doors. I am so thankful for the experiences and knowledge I have gained while working here and just so grateful to be able to have a career with people that share my love of animals.

 

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