Kathleen Crisley (CSMT, CTMT, SCMT, CCFT) is the founder of The Balanced Dog in Christchurch, New Zealand. She has been providing mobile dog massage, rehab and fitness services for dogs since 2009.

Kathleen holds certifications in canine therapeutic, sports and senior canine massage from the Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage in Colorado. She recognised the connection between pain and behaviour early in her practice, undertaking canine behaviour courses at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah before becoming NZ’s first Fear-Free certified therapist in 2018.

Since injury prevention is a foundation to good health, she became a sponsor of the 4 Paws Marathon in Christchurch in 2018, which is now an annual event. In 2023, she gained her Certified Canine Fitness Trainer qualification from the University of Tennessee, study which had been interrupted by the Covid pandemic.

Kathleen describes her services as ‘wraparound care’ which integrates with the traditional care provided by veterinarians. Her starting point with any new client is a thorough review of the dog’s veterinary records.

As a fully mobile practice, she values the opportunity to work in the homes of her human clients, where dogs and their families are most comfortable. This helps to build trust and understanding whilst enabling Kathleen to design exercises using items in the home, making it easy to adhere to the exercise programme.

With a first career in Environmental Science which lasted 20 years, Kathleen is a self-confessed Science Geek who follows developments in medical research, cognition and behaviour. Her blog, DoggyMom.com, is updated regularly with updates from the canine world. She has been writing a monthly column, The Canine Corner, forthe NZ Kennel Club, for the last15 years.

A ‘dog person’ for all of her life, Kathleen currently shares her home with a rescue greyhound named Sox. Managing his inflammatory bowel disease inspired her to start a support group for other dog owners. She also takes in special needs dogs for foster care.