As a lifelong lover of animals and traveling, Renee Kilmer has used every opportunity to spend time with animals in the wild, from elephant sanctuaries in Thailand, to Orangutan habitats in Borneo and the savannah in Africa. Her greatest loves, though, are her dogs, and she’s had several over the years, mostly Shih tzus and one Lhasa Apso. Prior to retirement, she dedicated her entire career to teaching literature and rhetoric at university and serving as a college administrator. She currently lives in San Diego, California and looks forward to adopting another dog soon.