Meet Our Founder

Tanya (Denizova) Lim is the founder of Play Pals - a highly personalized dog walking & cat sitting service created in 2013. She has extensive experience and knowledge working with a variety of breeds and pet personalities. She has attended and successfully completed the UK's premier Canine Psychology and Behavior Certification program. She is certified in Pet First Aid by The American Red Cross & a proud member of the National Association Of Professional Dog Trainers,  the National Association Of Professional Pet Sitters, and is insured and bonded by the Pet Sitters Associates.

Tanya is certified in Professional Dog Training Skills by the CATCH Canine Trainers Academy, where she was mentored and evaluated by David Muriello, CPDT-KA. The CATCH Academy is a State-Approved Dog Trainer School by the NJ Department of Education and the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development.  All CATCH courses are also approved by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers for continuing education units. Tanya is currently preparing for the CPDT-KA examination herself.

Tanya is also certified in Dog Trainer Foundations by Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior. During the course she has mastered the fundamentals of force-free training and clicker training, allowing her to be proficient in the mechanical skills needed to use this technology effectively. 

Tanya believes in using only positive reinforcement training techniques as a powerful tool for building strong and lasting dog-owner relationships. The use of force-free training methods makes her sessions fun and enjoyable for both her dog and human clients.