OUR TEAM

Troy Smith, Founder + Finance Director

Founder Troy Smith and his “right hand man” Tito
Troy Smith
Founder + Finance Director + Trainer
Troy has a lot of natural talents, but the one that is most true to his heart is with ‘mans best friend’. His training career started with two miniature pinschers that Troy raised from puppies. He has pursued his career with multiple schoolings, including The Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers, Sit Means Sit in Las Vegas, he is a AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, and many years of hands on experience. With a natural heart for dogs, it wasn’t long until the pack grew with other rescued canines of all breeds, and he has always had the philosophy that a trained dog, is a happy dog, and a happy dog means a happy owner with a healthy lifestyle. Troy spent many years learning every training technique possible, working and mentoring with the top named trainers across the country, and seeing the relationship that each method and tool created between him and the dog. There is not always one single method that works for all dogs, but rather being able to use the best tool and or method that is suited for that specific dog in the specific circumstance always gives Troy the desired result.
Andy Henbest, Trainer

Andy with Tiggy
Andy Henbest
Trainer
Carolyn Deyoe, PR + Community Outreach + Communications Director

Carolyn and Wiggles
Carolyn Deyoe
PR + Community Outreach + Communications Director
In 2010, Carolyn Deyoe, a native Southern Californian, found a stray pit bull in her yard. The dirty, sickly dog growled at her husband, but lay her head in Carolyn’s lap and fell asleep and thus began her love of big blocky headed dogs. After trying to find the owners or a rescue with no success, Wiggles became a permanent member of the Deyoe household. She was however, terrible at walking on leash and was dog reactive and that led to finding and training with LARPBO.
As a Camp Fire Girl and the daughter of a chronic do-gooder, Carolyn has volunteered throughout her life so becoming a booth volunteer and then a Leadership team member for LARPBO was a natural fit. Carolyn answers calls and emails, has organized the annual picnic, worked at several outreach events and started the Senior Stroll pack walks for our slower dogs. She recently adopted her second pit bull, Norah, and has been using the skills she learned at LARPBO to begin training her while quarantined. Outside of LARPBO she enjoys being the fun aunt to her niece and nephew, attending the Sundance Film Festival and watching Formula 1.
Cindy Wirth, Trainer

Cindy Wirth
Trainer
Felix Augilera, Head Trainer

Felix with (L-R) Barney who is a board and train rescue client, and his personal dogs Cora and Cleo
Felix Aguilera
Head Trainer
Felix grew up in a farm, surrounded by more animals than humans. Dogs have always been his favored animal that he loved playing with and training. For over 30 years, Felix has learned from various trainers and hundreds of dogs.
Felix joined LARPBO classes in 2011 to socialize his reactive dog. In so doing, he found people needing more help than he and began offering his help. The LARPBO trainers were very welcoming, openly sharing knowledge with him, and ultimately encouraged Felix to join the LARPBO team.
Kelly Perry, Trainer

Kelly Perry

Trainer
Kim Adams, Trainer

Kim Adams
Trainer
Lillian DeGroof, Trainer

Lillian with (L to R) Otto, Kayla, and Rusty
Lillian DeGroof
Trainer
Lillian have basically worked with and have been surrounded by dogs pretty much her whole life. She was even born into a home with 5 dogs! Growing up, she always took part in the daily maintenance and training of the dogs. So when she saw Rusty, an American Staffordshire Terrier, she thought training him would be easy too. BOY WAS SHE WRONG!!! She finally met her match. He was stubborn, always getting himself into trouble (like getting the lid of a trash can stuck around his neck, insecure, and reactive). She didn’t know what to do. She took him to training classes at different facilities and nothing worked.
Then, Lillian and her husband Chris discovered LARPBO when they attended Wiggle Waggle Walk with their other boxer mix Kayla (who was easy to train). As they walked around the event, they saw the most amazing sight: a bully breeds sitting on top of irrigation cover boxes not reacting or moving when other dogs came by! THAT was what she wanted for her boy Rusty! The following weekend, Lillian and Chris attended their first LARPBO class.
It has been almost 5 years since attending their first class. In that time, Lillian has gained a tremendous amount of knowledge. She chose to enroll in the trainers class because she wanted to give back to the organization that has helped her in so many ways. She has enjoyed sharing what she has learned and more importantly help build the human/ dog bond resulting in fewer dogs being returned to a rescue or the shelter.
Rita Vasquez, Trainer

Rita Vasquez
Trainer
Rita came to LARPBO in 2013, looking for quality, low cost dog training for her small dogs. She needed more targeted training than what the chain stores or community classes could provide. Impressed with the knowledge and patience of the trainers, she began volunteering, first at our booth and then, helping new handlers learn the basics.
When LARPBO offered their first train the trainers program, Rita signed up, seeing it as an opportunity to pay it forward to other dedicated dog owners. Today, Rita leads our beginners classes and she is proud of the progress each dog/owner team makes at each class.
Sammi Maon, Services + Operations Director

Sammi Maon

Services + Operations Director + Trainer

In 2010, Sammi walked into West LA Animal Shelter “just to look.” She scoured the kennels looking for any dog that wasn’t a pit mix or a tiny dog. While she thought they were all cute, she had it in her mind that these dogs were either ferocious or yappy. Well, apparently this pit/lab mix knew Sammi was the one for her. She wouldn’t go to other lookie-loos unless Sammi called for her. Needless to say, a few hours later, Makana — “gift” in Hawaiian — was taken home and never left her side.

Sammi came upon LARPBO on an internet search to help train and better her dog. Like Makana, LARPBO has a weird sense of humor: together scheming other plans for Sammi. Makana and LARPBO somehow wrangled into Sammi’s consciousness to extract her true calling: to serve her dog, other dogs, and those dogs’ humans….. Sammi is here to help in any capacity that she can. Sammi welcomes all with a greeting of Aloha, e komo mai.
Sandra Schoenfelder, Social Media + Fundraising & Grants Director

Sandra and Ani
Sandra Schoenfelder
Social Media + Fundraising & Grants Director
Early 2013 the question of getting a dog came up and we spontaneously took a trip to our local shelter. My first comment was “we’re NOT getting a pit bull!” I grew up in Germany where they execute BS-laws and so all I knew about this breed is what most people know – a whole lotta stereotypes.
That’s when we came across Ms. Ani, a “lab-mix”. One reason we liked her so much was because she was very calm amongst all the loud dogs surrounding her, but once we brought her home, all that changed. She showed no leash manners, reactivity to dogs, cats, skateboards, etc. It was a tough time for me especially, being a first time dog owner. I was desperate, until one day a lady at the vet said there was this group who trains pit bulls for only $15/class. Well, we haven’t looked back since the first time we attended class. Ani has now earned her CGC and CGCA titles. She still has a long way to go, but training never stops! I highly value all that LARPBO has taught us and look forward to many more years as part of this amazing community.