Melody Huff, UW-AAB, is a certified animal behaviorist and the founder of The Pet Connection. Her lifelong connection with animals began at age nine through her local 4-H program, where she trained everything from horses and goats to chickens and roosters. From an early age, she was rescuing strays, performing trick shows at nursing homes with her pets, and even once traveled to visit her father with two dogs and seven sheep in tow.
After earning her business degree from Friends University, Melody worked in social services while volunteering extensively in animal welfare. She served on the boards of Heart of America Humane Society and No More Homeless Pets, and became the director of Animal Haven (now Great Plains SPCA) in 1997. In 1999, she launched The Pet Connection to pioneer a new model of care—one rooted in progressive sheltering, daily hands-on behavior work, and long-term rehabilitation for animals in need.
In 2025, Melody completed her formal certification in animal behavior through the University of Washington’s Applied Animal Behavior program, earning the UW-AAB designation.
She specializes in working with dogs and cats exhibiting complex behavioral concerns like aggression, fear, and anxiety. Over the years, she has trained, fostered, or handled thousands of animals—often those considered unadoptable elsewhere—and continues to coach pet guardians, shelters, and other trainers in her methods.
Melody and her husband Jason live at The Pet Connection Sanctuary in Beloit, Kansas. Jason designed and built the sanctuary with the behavioral and emotional needs of the animals in mind—creating a space where healing is woven into the environment itself. Together with team members and volunteers, they care for an average of 30 dogs and 43 cats daily, many of whom are medically or behaviorally fragile. The sanctuary is also home to:
Dory and Blue, their resident dogs
Five cats: Noname, Oz, Ellie, Bobbie, and Eve—descendants of feral moms who were rescued and rehabilitated
An aquarium with a turtle
A backyard fountain that's developed its own ecosystem of toads and aquatic life
An aviary housing two peaceful diamond doves
Melody serves on the City Planning Commission in Beloit and remains a daily hands-on leader, balancing the operational demands of a nonprofit with the deep behavioral work that is her life’s calling.