Meet Heidi

Short Bio for Kids

Heidi, who grew up with many rescue puppies and dogs, preferred her dog companions over dolls or toys! She always wanted to help people and to be surrounded by dogs as she grew from a young girl to an adult.

And she has been doing just that! Heidi rescues dogs from shelters, volunteers at her local shelter to walk dogs who have no homes, and is now sharing Reed's story through her new children's book! She's working on ideas for her next book about Reed's brother Rooney, who also has a very special story...

Longer Bio for Anyone

Heidi Kristan Mottin is a volunteer & animal rescue advocate in southeastern PA, outside of Philadelphia. She & her pit bull Reed, whom she rescued from a shelter where he had resided for 4 years, work as a therapy dog team in area schools & hospitals.

Heidi, Reed & RooneyHeidi has always been a dog lover & has had many rescue dogs. Almost all of her childhood pictures show her arms around a dog or a puppy in her lap.

Heidi's early career years were spent in advertising sales, during which time she earned a Master's Degree in Training & Organizational Development from St. Joseph's University. In 2010 she became the Financial Controller for her husband's golf course renovation company, freeing up more time for her to volunteer with animals.

She became passionate about working with difficult & misunderstood dogs in the shelter. Reed was one of those dogs whom Heidi knew needed a chance for someone to believe in him. So she worked with Reed for 2 years at the shelter before adopting him in September 2015. One year later Heidi & Reed became a Certified Therapy Dog team.

Heidi was inspired to write her first children's book after witnessing how the story of Reed's resilient journey, a homeless dog to therapy dog, resonated with all who met (and pet) him, from preschoolers to high schoolers to adults. Her goal is to spread Reed's multi-faceted message of hope & redemption to every person possible while encouraging pet rescue/adoption & breed awareness in the process. She believes every living being has worth & a purpose — sometimes it just takes one person to believe.

In addition to volunteering with animals, training her rescue dogs & writing, Heidi also competes in half marathons &triathlons. Her other rescue dog Rooney enjoys accompanying her on runs & makes a great training partner.

Fun Facts About Heidi

  • As a child, Heidi did NOT like playing with dolls. Instead, her favorite things to play with were.... puppy dogs!
  • She always wanted to be a veterinarian but is having more fun being an author instead!
  • Her favorite place to spend time is the beach although she loves to be outside, no matter where she is.
  • Heidi's favorite color is ORANGE.
  • She runs a lot for exercise & competes in many running races throughout the year.

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