Meet the Team

Fabian Romo-Vargas is a veteran of the canine industry in Chicago and has been actively involved in the local community and canine work for the past 17 years.

As the owner of Found Chicago, MOJO Dog Co, Pup Start, and a few other ventures, he has developed the ability to form successful teams to achieve a common goal. Fabian is an expert in canine operations with 15 years of training experience and expertise in running and scaling successful operations.

Fabian's journey in the canine industry began in the dog boarding and daycare sector. He then spent over a decade in Pitbull Rescue and behavior training, which shaped the approach to Pup Start Chicago and Found Chicago's training methods and operations. Being a resident of Chicago, Fabian attended City Colleges of Chicago and later pursued Automotive Technologies and Business at Southern Illinois University.

As a trainer, Fabian holds certifications such as CCPDT-KA and the prestigious NePoPo® Gold Certificate from the NePoPo dog training school. Additionally, he is a National Competitor in the PSA (Protection Sport Association) and serves as Vice President of the IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals) and as Director of Oversight for their Education Committee.

Brittney's passion for working with dogs started early, walking neighbors’ dogs as a child and later working as a kennel assistant in a pet store. She furthered her experience as a dog handler in a dog daycare and through her volunteer work at shelters and at a service dog organization. While competing on the cross country and track teams at Monmouth College, she focused her studies on Human Services, which resulted in an internship at a Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center. This opportunity deepened her understanding of the human-animal bond. After earning her CPDT-KA certification, she found fulfillment in working with rescued dogs at Found Chicago, honing her handling and training skills. Brittney takes pride in assisting clients in creating lasting training connections with their dogs. In her free time, Brittney cherishes spending time with her dogs.

Valerie's career took an exciting turn when she decided to follow her true passion, dogs. As a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA), Valerie has been instrumental in developing our renowned Pup Start Program and now leads graduates in the Pup Start Plus program for the past two years. When not training puppies, Valerie finds joy in training her own dog, a husky named Brixten. Together, they have achieved the Novice Tricks title, and competed and earned notable placements in several Canicross races. This summer, they are eagerly taking on the challenge of moving up from 5k to 10k races. During their downtime, Valerie enjoys activities such as mountain climbing, backpacking through the UP, and relaxing at dog-friendly patios.

Jen Smith, a certified dog trainer (CPDT-KA) at Found Chicago Boarding and Training Center is dedicated to helping puppy parents achieve their training goals. With a specialization in puppies aged 8 to 24 weeks, she combines her experience as a dog mom and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Prescott College to establish strong relationships with each puppy and their family. Jen ensures that training is enjoyable for both puppies and parents by incorporating structure, routine, and confidence-building techniques. Outside of Pup Start, Jen indulges in crafting, yoga, dancing, and quality time with her husband and their three dogs.

We are excited to introduce our new groomer, Erika Anderson! Growing up in Philadelphia, Erika has always enjoyed the companionship of animals from pet mice and frogs to her childhood dogs, a Siberian Husky and a Shepherd mix. In high school Erika worked as a bather for a mobile groomer, as well as a dog walker, pet sitter, and doggy daycare handler! Erika moved to Chicago in pursuit of a college degree, but soon came to find that she could build a career working with animals outside of the veterinary field. Erika joins the Found family not only with expertise in grooming, but a passion for training with hopes to someday become a working dog handler. With a special place in her heart for herding breeds, Erika shares her home with a German Shepherd named Keith after Duncan Keith, and also has two sweet cats. An avid hockey fan, you can find Erika cheering on Johnathan Toews and the rest of the Chicago Blackhawks.

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