History and Mission
The Companion Dog Project (CDP) grew out of mission-driven, collaborative work among breeders and researchers focused on improving the welfare of companion dogs. Its development was strongly informed by the research and leadership of Perry Hekman and the early community formed through the Functional Dog Collaborative. In one of its early iterations, this work took shape as the Co-Pilot Breeding Cooperative—an exploratory effort that helped surface many of the questions and challenges that later shaped CDP.
Over nearly four years, the project has evolved through repeated cycles of discussion, revision, and real-world testing, informed by practical breeding decisions, emerging standards, and significant technical challenges.
Today, CDP operates as an independent LLC while remaining philosophically aligned with the collaborative work that informed its beginnings. The current advisory group below reflects these origins, drawing from breeders, researchers, and practitioners who helped shape the project along the way. In 2026, CDP is launching a new database platform and membership structure to continue this work, with the goal of supporting ethical, temperament-first breeding through clear standards, practical tools, and shared accountability.
Advisors
Marina Hall Phillips
Marina has a background rich in animal behavior, genetics and husbandry. For 25 years she served in the guide and service dog industry, where she focused on training, temperament assessment, puppy development and reproduction. She retired from the Breeding Manager position at Guide Dogs for the Blind in 2011 and then stepped in to continue to support the assistance dog field by facilitating the Assistance Dogs International Breeding Cooperative. She has worked with programs all over the world (from Canada to Japan to Ireland) to develop sustainable purpose-bred breeding colonies with an emphasis on collaboration and knowledge sharing.
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Jessica Perry Hekman, DVM PhD
Perry graduated from the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine with a joint DVM/MS degree in 2012. Her Master's work was on stress in hospitalized dogs. She completed a specialty internship in veterinary shelter medicine at the University of Florida's Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program in 2013. She studied for her PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, investigating the genomics of two lines of foxes, one bred for tameness and one for aggression. After receiving her PhD in 2017, she went to work for the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, studying the genomics of behavior in pet and working dogs as part of the Darwin's Ark project and the Working Dog Project.
Perry also teaches online and in person seminars on the biology of behavior. She is passionate about supporting ethical breeding and changing the conversation around what makes a reputable breeder, and founded the FDC in 2020.
Amy Townsend
Amy has been loving, learning about, and training animals, especially dogs, as a community-building activity since elementary school. As a licensed veterinary nurse, canine massage therapist, certified family dog mediator, professional dog trainer, and now a dog breeder, she loves looking at how dogs bring us back to ourselves and nature. Nurturing welfare-first breeding, raising, and keeping of dogs is her greatest joy. She currently shares her life and family with a team of companion-bred lurchers that are a constant source of laughter. Amy also enjoys keeping reptiles and amphibians, native plant gardening, bonsai, and learning new things.
Ashley Tittle, DVM
Dr. Tittle has been with Eastown Veterinary Clinic in Grand Rapids, Michigan since 2012. She attended Calvin College to achieve her Bachelor's degree in Biology. Immediately following, she went to Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and obtained her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. As a student at Michigan State, she worked in the orthopedics department for two years. After graduation, she worked at Richland Animal Hospital for almost two years before joining Eastown Veterinary Clinic. Being a part of building and facilitating the health and bond between owners and their pets has been a dream since she was nine years old.
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Rachel Barrios
Rachel is a wife & mom of two that is passionate about her kids and her dogs. She grew up in a breeding home and learned many lessons; but always wanted to go down her own path of breeding in a very different way. A way of intention. After a few failed rescue attempts, she confirmed her belief in the importance of family dogs who bring joy and ease to the home. She strives to share these kinds of dogs with other families especially those with children. She enjoys watching her children help her bring this vision to life as they grow up alongside their beloved companions. Her breeding program focuses on non-shedding allergy friendly dogs, and she also runs a large successful Facebook stud group for companion mix breeders where she works hard to uphold standards of quality and welfare.
Carolyn Kelly RN, MSN
Carolyn brings over 30 years of nursing experience, in multiple specialties and diverse roles including education and leadership, to her role as founder and director of the Companion Dog Project. Her human healthcare career helped her develop skills that have proven invaluable in building a registry system designed to serve a diverse community of breeders. A lifelong student of science and behavior, Carolyn created CDP after recognizing the need for a registry that prioritizes welfare, transparency, and open stud books over appearance-based standards. She lives on Michigan's historic Old Mission Peninsula with her husband and her dogs, where she continues to refine CDP's mission of supporting purpose bred mix programs who are committed to putting health and temperament first.