Meet Our Team

Dr. Sherle Thompson
On-Site Veterinarian

Dr. Thompson completed her undergraduate studies in Animal Science at Auburn University in 1993 and earned her doctorate in veterinary medicine at the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. Upon graduating, she spent time doing relief work for local veterinary hospitals and opening her own mobile veterinary practice.

Dr. Thompson joined the staff of South Rhea Animal Hospital in 2000, becoming an owner in 2005. Three years later, she was instrumental in the founding and building of Sequoyah Animal Hospital. Dr. Thompson is now our animal hospital’s primary owner and manager.

She raised her first litter of German Shepherd puppies in 1997. A few years later, she began competing with them in SDA (now known as WDA- Working Dogs of America). WDA allows you to show dogs in obedience, protection, and tracking. Her primary focus is on obedience and protection, and she has even trained a couple of dogs up to the PD3 title (Police Dog 3). She serves as a consultant and primary veterinarian for Sequoyah K9 Academy.

Howard Johnson
Certified Decoy and Dog Trainer

Howard joined Sequoyah K9 Academy in 2023 as a certified decoy and dog trainer.  He was born and raised on a farm in Mississippi. One of eight children, he is the baby of the family. Howard’s grandfather trained and showed horses his entire life.  He started training with him when he was just ten years old and trained alongside him for the next seven years. Howard got his first German Shepherd when he was fifteen and took what he learned from horse training methods and how to motivate an animal and put that into training dogs.

Howard is a Certified Decoy and Dog Trainer with over five years of experience working with many different breeds and ages of dogs using positive reinforcement and a variety of training methods.  He is adept at accessing root causes of behavior problems, stresses, and social anxieties in dogs, and has a proven history of achieving goals and resolving negative behavior patterns in dogs.  His favorite part of training dogs is seeing the growth between the owner and the dog that helps build a better relationship. 

Howard currently owns two German Shepherds, Delta who is eighteen months and Osorio who is eight months old.

Prior to professionally training dogs, Howard worked at South Mississippi Regional Mental Institute while studying psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi for 3 years.

He started professionally training dogs in 2015.  Prior to joining Sequoyah K9 Academy, Howard worked for Protection Dog Sales in Kentucky for two years.  

When not training dogs, he can likely be found riding horses, going fishing, or hiking with his dogs.

Zoe Shepherd
Dog Trainer

Zoe is a deeply dedicated K9 trainer who has a true passion for working with dogs. Her commitment goes beyond just training; she has a special calling to connect with and understand each animal she works with. Zoe’s dedication is matched by her passion for helping both animals and their owners succeed. Her genuine love for animals and her commitment to their well-being reflects in every aspect of her training, ensuring that each dog receives the care and attention needed to thrive. With every session, Zoe’s goal is not just to train, but to create lasting, positive relationships between dogs and their families.

Meet the experienced team behind Sequoyah K9 Academy, offering puppy training and dog training for dogs in Soddy Daisy, Dunlap, Hixson, Dayton, and the surrounding areas.