jesspark

Jessica Steele Allen was a geek before geek was chic. She grew up a bespectacled tomboy near the beach in Cocoa, Florida, spending her days reading, drawing, and playing video games since the time she was old enough to pick up the original gray brick of a Game Boy. Her answers to the question "What are you going to be when you grow up?" were varied as a child -- paleontologist, dolphin trainer, animator, and film director being the main ones -- and, after moving to Orlando in 2000 to pursue a degree in psychology, her career choices have been every bit as fun and interesting. She realized her dream of working with dolphins during the two yea

The English shepherd, also known as the farm collie, is a relatively rare breed of dog related to (and often confused with) the border collie and the Australian shepherd. Bright, biddable, and loyal, the English shepherd makes an amazing pet for those who understand the breed's intelligence, drive, and need for a "job." Unfortunately, the English shepherd's rarity hasn't insulated it from tragedy. In Ballantine, Montana, nearly two hundred dogs were removed from puppy-miller Linda Kapsa's property in December 2008 after she was charged with two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty, two misdemeanor counts of having a dog at large, and t

Twentysomething Capricorn, off and on Psychology major at the University of Central Florida, current Seasonal Event Performer at the Universal Orlando Resort, former Sea World Orlando Crew Member (in both the Education and Animal Care departments), all-around theme park geek, night-owl, animation fan, ocean lover -- I'm married to a firefighter who makes my every day a joy, and owned by Brody, an English shepherd. (Man, I have so many more photos that I want to share that weren't necessarily taken by me... I need a pro account at Flickr!) Like a lot of kids raised on Disney and Don Bluth, I wanted to be an animator when I grew up, and it wa