Meet The Team
Discover the faces behind the San Diego Dog Sports Club! Meet our dedicated board members and learn about their passion for dogs and commitment to our club's mission. Get to know the team driving our community forward and fostering lasting connections among dog lovers.
John Schwartz, President
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John brings over two decades of dedication to dog sports and training. His profound love for dogs has translated into training and handling dogs to numerous titles, while also guiding others to unlock the full potential of their canine companions. Beyond personal accomplishments, John's impact extends to governance roles in various dog clubs, showcasing a leadership style that emphasizes modernization and drives consistent growth and engagement. The San Diego Dog Sports Club, conceived from conversations within the community, reflects a vision for a forward-thinking organization dedicated not only to dog sports and training but also built on inclusivity, camaraderie, support, and a broader community impact. His leadership stands as a testament to the belief that a club can evolve through the embrace of modern ideals, philosophies, and methodologies, fostering a sense of community and innovation for a better today and a promising future.
Debbie Redondo, Vice President
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Debbie, a dedicated advocate for canine welfare and training, has woven dogs into the fabric of her life since the age of 5, instilling in her a lifelong commitment to their well-being. With a background as a veterinary technician and a BS in Animal Science, she possesses a deep understanding of animal behavior and care. Debbie's journey into dog training commenced in 1995, leading to over two decades of active involvement in various dog clubs and training programs. Engaging in a myriad of dog sports such as Rally, Flyball, Dock Diving, Agility, Tracking, Scent Work, NASDA, and FastCAT, she has achieved remarkable success, notably with her Lagotto, Lira. Lira's accomplishments, including Rally Master and Champion Tracker titles, showcase Debbie's expertise. Beyond participation, Debbie serves as a CGC Evaluator, ATT and Fetch Judge, maintaining standards of excellence. Her desire to become an AKC Scent Work judge reflects her commitment to nurturing the next generation of skilled participants, and she generously imparts her knowledge through specialized training classes.
Kris Eitland, Secretary
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Kris’s life experience with dogs, farm animals, and those in the wild, has given her a unique understanding of animal behavior and the ability to gain their trust. Her formal dog training began in 1990, with her German Shepherd, Zach, and over the decades, she has trained multiple breeds. Through a rigorous program, she trained her Malinois to be a service dog for her special needs son, and they attended high school together. The success and titles of her current dogs, a Standard Poodle and German Shepherd, in Rally Obedience, Dock Diving, Flyball, ATT, CGCA, CGCU, Farm Dog, and Trick, are part of her accomplishments. She enjoys bikejoring, watersports, and camping with her dogs. An advocate for dogs of all ages and circumstances, Kris is a CGC evaluator and a positive and creative dog trainer with energy, who helps pet owners prepare for real-life experiences and competitions. Kris is also an award-winning journalist and past president of the San Diego Press Club, and has extensive experience with non-profits, budgets, fundraising, communications, and event planning.
Danielle Richards, Treasurer
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Danielle brings over two decades of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector. She has held various leadership positions from director to president and sits on the board of three nonprofit organizations. Dog training is a new passion stemming from her adoption of a shepherd mix from Mexico during the pandemic and her desire to find new outlets for his energy. He has introduced her to an amazing new community and she cannot wait to explore more dog sports.
Jack Farris, Director
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Jack has been involved in obedience training dogs since 1986. Starting with his standard poodle blend, and continuing with his German Shepard blend in the 2000s. Jack adopted his first Bouvier des Flanders in 2009. All dogs started with foundation work at Fon Jon Kennels. Jack’s current Bouvier, Frodo, became a family member in late 2021 and they have earned the STAR puppy, CGC, Trick Dog Novice and Intermediate titles. They have trained through various Rally course offerings, earning their first leg in Rally Novice. Frodo and Jack are active in Agility and look forward to their first competition.
In addition, Jack has been a member of the San Pasqual Valley Herding Club since 2010 earning numerous AKC and American Herding Breed Association (AHBA) titles with both Bouviers and have helped set up courses and volunteered at trials.
The relevant prior experience for the position of a Director includes: Board membership on a non-profit development corporation and Chair of the Board Of Directors for the National Management Association, City of San Diego Chapter. The role of these positions included provision of guidance and procedures for the development of the organization and the benefit of the stakeholders.
Sandy Gonzales, Director
Animals have always fascinated me since I was old enough to know what they were. I grew up around the family dogs and cats and have been involved training dogs since I was a teen. Over the past 50+ years, I have trained all of my dogs and, when I was finally able to get my first horse and the many afterward, have been involved in training them as well. I have learned that there are lots of methods of getting animals, even large ones, to do what I want them to do. I have also learned that there are no shortcuts or magic gimmicks to make it happen faster than forging a relationship with that animal. The relationship is the most important part of training. It is the partnership that brings joy into the mix. Without the fun, there is no point. I am in this for the fun and that marvelous moment when the light clicks on and the animal has learned how to learn and that it brings reward, whether physical or mental. I keep looking for the light!
Venus Zayas, Director
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Venus has owned dogs since infancy. 11 years ago, she was introduced to a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Delta, and began her journey of positive training and the love of play with her dog. With Delta, she was introduced to the Canine Good Citizen program and she continued with her dogs to ensure they were good canine citizens and well-behaved. In 2020 at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, she discovered Rally Obedience. She successfully competed with both her dogs until their retirement. She is proud to say that she was able to successfully earn 100s with both dogs. Other sports that she participates in are Scent Work, FASTCat, Barn Hunt Association, and North American Dog Sports Association. Other than competitive sports, she enjoys just having fun with her dogs. She has hiked, kayaked, and stand-up paddle boarded with her dogs. Her philosophy is that at the end of the day if it isn’t fun, it isn’t worth it.