Victoria Stilwell

Victoria Stilwell is my hero because she advocates so many rescues and is on the road to ban the horrible practice of puppy mills and Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). Dog activists want to put a stop to dog fighting as a sport. Many of the dogs people use in fighting are Pit Bulls, which are often described as vicious dogs, but they aren’t!

I think Victoria does a great service for rescues, plus she helps dogs overcome their behavior problems and helps owners become less stressed about the situation they are in. In the long run, Victoria saves the dogs’ lives so the dog will stay out of trouble and the dog won’t end up in the pound to be euthanized, or put to sleep. She is an angel for saving so many dogs.

Victoria Stilwell was born August 8, 1969 in Wimbledon, England. She had always wanted a dog, but both her parents refused to get one since they both worked. At the time, she thought her parents were being mean.

With her lifelong dream of becoming an actress, she played roles in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” in 1992, ITV1’s, “The Bill” in 1994, and onstage in London’s West End Theatre, as well as participating in several commercials and voiceovers.

Victoria started out as a dog walker, walking 20 dogs a day, 10 in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. After a while, Victoria met dog trainer Ken Cochrane and she learned of his dominant style of dog training which included working with leash and collar jerks and gaining an understanding of each dog.

For a while, she worked as an adoption counselor for the ASPCA. She brought home and fostered dogs from local municipal shelters that were scheduled to be euthanized or put to sleep. She got them in good shape and found them good homes. She and her husband, whom she met in a show they both starred in, have given homes to over 50 dogs and cats.

One day, she called a production company and said she was a dog trainer and would be great for her own show. She was in disbelief when they called back and agreed to it.

Her show "It’s Me or the Dog" airs on Animal Planet. The show is about Victoria going to different homes and families, helping them train their unruly dogs. She teaches the owners what they are doing wrong, and how they can improve. Both the owners and the dogs feel much happier and less stressed after Victoria has worked with them and taught them some of her tricks. The show is aired in the United Kingdom and in the U.S. After its first season in the UK, "It’s Me or the Dog" was nominated in the Best Factual Entertainment category in the UK’s TV Quick Awards.

Stilwell has written two books: Her first one, "It’s Me or the Dog: How to Have the Perfect Pet" was intended as a guide to treating and training your dog with trust and respect, and to bond with each other. Her other book, "Fat Dog Slim: How to Have a Happy, Healthy, Pet" addresses the role proper food and exercise have on the general health and behavior issues in dogs. Her first book was voted one of the 50 greatest dog books ever written by "Dogs Today" magazine.

She advocates animal rescues and supports Paws Atlanta, Stray from the Heart in New York City, Hong Kong Dog Rescue and Greyhound Rescue of West England, Wisconsin Puppy Mill project to ban puppy mills, the Waterside Action Group, and Deed Not Breed which is working to ban breed specific legislation.

Victoria has appeared in many magazines and journals including the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, the Daily Mail, MSNBC.com, USA Today, Psychology Today and The Sun. She has been on many talk shows and radio broadcasts as a dog training expert.

After moving to the US with her husband, Stilwell co-founded several dog training companies up and down the East Coast, quickly becoming known as one of New York’s most sought after dog trainers. "With a fondness for rescue animals in need of behavior rehabilitation, she gave most of her time and energy to a number of animal rescue organizations in New York and Atlanta, serving as a behavior adviser."

Victoria was one of the judges in the CBS show "Greatest American Dog" in which 12 dog-owner teams compete for $250,000, and the title of Greatest American Dog.

After many years without a dog of her own due to the show and work, she finally rescued a chocolate Labrador named Sadie. Before that, when she was very busy, she said owning a dog would have been irresponsible and not fair to the dog, considering how much the family travels.

She is passionate about using positive reinforcement training methods that increase confidence for a dog to learn. She is against the use of forceful, dominance-based training techniques which often result in fixing things very quick, but cause more harm than good. She is certified by the Animal Behavior Training Associates and is a member of The Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

My hero Victoria Stilwell must be VERY humble and selfless because her career is based on helping other people and dogs. I think she must be pretty brave too, since she meets and has to train very aggressive or unruly dogs. Even though she has her own show, fame and fortune, she has managed to keep her ego under control and I give her credit for that. She seems like a very down-to-earth person and she understands the point of view from people and dogs and tries to help in any way. That is why Victoria Stilwell is my hero.