Explore Life with Pets
Hire Me/About Me
Who am I, you ask?
I am Jen Clifford aka “Kestrel,” a passionate animal person who has spent my life promoting the unique relationships between pets and their human parents. I have a degree in biology and have a great deal of experience working with all sorts of domesticated and wild animals. I have worked as a field biologist (passerines, raptors/owls, rodents, reptiles/amphibians, bats), as a manager of a doggy daycare, and for the last 10 years I worked in veterinary medicine. My hobbies and interests, including writing, science, nature, food/cooking, video games, history, and crafty-pursuits.
I am here to help you navigate the insane amount of contrary information out there about pets and to empower you to solve your pet-related challenges. Let me know what I can do to help you and your tribe!
If you are looking for a writer for your blog or other project, please contact me at MyWickedTribe@gmail.com.
Current projects:
I am writing product reviews, round-ups and website descriptions for T47 Media. Email me and I can provide clips.
I have a recent post published to The Everyday Dog Mom. You can find it here.
I am a regular writer for Your Dog’s Health Matters. Some of my recent posts include:
A Simple Look at Chiggers on Dogs
Mast Cell Tumor Drugs for Dogs (forthcoming)
17 Hawaiian Spirulina Benefits for Dogs (forthcoming)
Who is the Wicked Tribe?
Originally named for a group of tiny yellow monkeys who flew around a VR environment as a tornado of chaos and comedy, my Wicked Tribe currently includes my partner, Mike aka “Suckerfish,” and our household of various critters who keep us up to our ears in chaos, comedy and fur. None of us are related in blood, all of us are united in tribe…My Wicked Tribe.
Queen Boo-boo
The eldest of the family at 16 years young, and my first non-caged pet as an adult! She may be up there in cat-years, but there is no question that she is the Queen of the Tribe.
Ajax
Slightly younger than Boo, this miniature schnauzer joined the tribe along with my partner Suckerfish. She gives me daily insight into the challenges of parenting a senior pet.
MC
He is a mystery and officially The Worst Cat in the World. Proof that a “free” pet is the most expensive kind.
Deuce
You partner up with another human and their furkid, buy a house: what more do you need? A puppy! This now mature golden retriever was our first joint tribal addition, who added a great deal of comedy to our new home-which did not (then) have a fully fenced yard.
Minnow
Sometimes you just see a face and know that they are meant to join your tribe! Acquired through veterinary work, as many of mine have been, this corgi mix is my very best friend (and further proof that “free” pets are anything but). I regret nothing.
VJ
A feral kitten we took in for a quarantine period (he bit someone trying to rescue him, so he was under quarantine by the county to prove he did not have rabies), I soon discovered that inside this feral terror was a sweet little guy who really just wanted a safe home and nightly snuggles.
Crazy Bug
What can I say? She is a jack russell terrier mix! Crazy comes with the territory. This ‘lil bug was a “birthday” rescue for Suckerfish. He is crazy enough himself to view her insanity as perfection.
