Dave's respect and love for animals began when he was just a child watching National Geographic animal shows and only grew when his parents brought home their first dog. As Dave grew up, he had an innate talent for coaching, which he used while coaching youth sports and inspiring adults in the workforce. Dave and his girlfriend adopted a blind Pit Bull/Rottweiler mix named Ray Wonder. Training a dog with vision impairment was no easy task, but Dave's experience throughout his life has prepared him to train Ray with a positive-based training system. Over a decade since Dave adopted Ray, Ray Wonder would allow himself to be dressed for every holiday and occasion, go to schools and juvenile programs to teach children how to approach dogs and general dog care, go on 5K runs and be an ambassador for bully breed dogs around the city.