Today we’d like to introduce you to Tania Maria Gutierrez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Honestly, my journey has been a little chaotic—but in a good way.
I grew up in Mexico being completely obsessed with animals.
Then life happened. I moved to Texas, struggled a lot with school and confidence, and had many moments where I questioned if I was actually smart enough for this field. I’m not naturally great at testing, and for years I compared myself to people who seemed to learn everything so easily.
But somehow… I kept going.
I discovered veterinary technology, fell in love with the medical side of animal care, and eventually became a Licensed Veterinary Technician. Once I started working in hospitals, I noticed something that changed everything for me: so many “behavior problems” were actually fear, stress, anxiety, pain, or unmet needs.
And I was like… wait a minute, why are we not talking about this more?
That curiosity turned into a huge passion for behavior, training, and Fear Free care, which eventually led me to create Barkcademy. Now I get to combine medicine, behavior, education, and honestly a little bit of my chaotic personality into something that feels very me.
So yeah… if you told younger me—the insecure girl who struggled in school—that one day she’d work in specialty veterinary medicine and run her own pet education business, she probably would’ve laughed and cried at the same time.
And honestly? I still feel like I’m just getting started.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all! it has definitely not been a smooth road, and honestly I think that’s what makes the journey real.
One struggle was realizing that passion and reality are not always the same thing. I love this field deeply, but veterinary medicine can be emotionally, mentally, and financially challenging. (It is not well payed to be honest, for the amount of work that we do and the amount of hours we spend in the hospital)
You see amazing moments, but you also see suffering, burnout, compassion fatigue, and difficult decisions every day.
Building my own business has been a whole different challenge too but I am just starting so nothing too crazy so far.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Barkcademy?
Barkcademy is a pet wellness and education brand built around one big belief: animal care should feel less stressful and more collaborative for both pets and their humans.
Right now, I’m best known for personalized boarding and pet care in a home environment, especially for pets that need extra patience, medical awareness, or emotional support. Because of my veterinary background as a Licensed Veterinary Technician, many families trust me with pets that need more than traditional pet sitting, whether that’s senior care, special nursing needs, medication administration, behavioral support, or pets with anxiety.
What makes Barkcademy different is that I don’t just look at behavior as “good” or “bad.” I look at the whole picture: medical health, stress, pain, environment, emotions, and communication. Sometimes what people think is a training issue is actually fear, discomfort, or unmet needs.
As Barkcademy grows, I’m moving even deeper into the areas I’m most passionate about: cooperative care training, rehabilitation, and animal fitness. I’m currently working toward my cooperative care training certification and beginning my journey into rehab and fitness medicine. My long-term goal is to help pets feel safer during veterinary and grooming visits by teaching skills that make handling less overwhelming and more consent-based.
I’m especially passionate about helping veterinary teams obtain better physical exams and helping families feel less anxious about vet visits. I also hope to expand nursing support for rehabilitation, neurological, and orthopedic patients who need extra guidance during recovery.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is creating something that feels truly aligned with who I am a blend of medicine, behavior, education, and compassion. I want people to know Barkcademy is more than pet care or training. It’s about improving quality of life, reducing fear, and helping humans better understand the animals they love.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’m probably not the best person to ask about traditional mentorship because I don’t currently have one mentor that I work with closely.
I do, however, have someone I deeply trust my cousin Gina, who is a veterinarian in Mexico and also a certified trainer. She has been one of the people I turn to the most whenever I need guidance, perspective, or just someone to help me think through.
If I’m being honest, the idea of having a formal mentor still feels a little intimidating to me. I tend to worry about taking up too much of people’s time or asking too many questions, so networking and mentorship can feel overwhelming sometimes.
What has worked best for me has actually been building genuine relationships little by little. Instead of focusing on “How do I find a mentor?” I focus more on staying curious, asking thoughtful questions when opportunities come up, and learning from the people around me: coworkers, doctors, trainers, specialists, and educators.
I’ve learned that networking doesn’t always have to be this big formal thing. Sometimes it starts with one conversation, one question, or simply showing genuine interest in someone’s work.
Pricing:
- Boarding Starts at $25/day
- Training Guides are less than $20
- I got some client education freebies
- Online training $40 per session
- In person traininf $60 per session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://barkcademy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taniavet.tech/
