Julie Shaw is the founder of Mindful Partners.

Julie became a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in 1983 and spent the next 17 years in private veterinary practice while also operating her own dog training company. In 1999, she joined the Purdue University Animal Behavior Clinic as one of the first dedicated veterinary behavior technicians in the country. Over the next decade, she worked closely with Dr. Andrew Luescher, DVM, PhD, DACVB—managing complex referral cases and mentoring both veterinary and technician students. She also co-developed and taught the nationally recognized  DOGS! Course: Principles and and Techniques of Behavior Modification for 13 years.

In 2010, Julie became one of the first veterinary nurses to earn the title of Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior (VTS-Behavior), a credential akin to an animal psychiatric nurse. She is a Certified Fear Free® Professional, an approved Fear Free speaker, and a member of the Fear Free Advisory Panel. As a faculty emeritus with the Karen Pryor Academy and Clicker Expo, she has trained hundreds of animal professionals across the United States.

Julie is an award winning national and international speaker on canine and feline behavior and is widely recognized for her engaging, compassionate teaching style. She is the co-author and editor of Canine and Feline Behavior for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses—the first textbook of its kind for veterinary nurses—now in its second edition and translated into multiple languages.

In 2015, Julie founded Stepping Stone Animal Training, LLC to offer behavior consulting and support for pet families and veterinary teams. Her work included assessing behavior concerns, developing individualized treatment plans, and fostering collaboration between families and veterinary professionals. She sold the company in 2021 after being diagnosed with hemiplegic migraines—a rare and debilitating neurological disorder that affected her ability to speak, see, and walk. Through new medical treatments, mindfulness, meditation, and transformative lifestyle changes, she gradually regained her health and re-entered the profession she loves with a new perspective and focus.

In 2025, Julie launched Mindful Partners, a mission-driven animal training and consulting company rooted in mindfulness, compassion, connection, and service. 

Julie also serves her local community through pet therapy visits with her registered therapy dog, Meadow, and has created a unique therapy dog training curriculum that incorporates mindfulness and meditation, inspired by her studies in the Plum Village tradition of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Julie continues to routinely attend personal and group retreats at Magnolia Grove Monastery to deepen her practice.