BJAC Directors
Sasha Zitter (She/Her)
In 2016, Sasha searched the internet for junior handler agility camps in North America, and much to her disappointment, could not find anything of the sort. So, she decided to create one herself. With the help of Madison Edmunds and the generosity of supporters and donors throughout the agility community, Boundless Junior Agility Camp was born. Since the first year of camp in 2017, BJAC has grown immensely and continues to expand as demand grows. Sasha is proud to have co-founded the largest junior agility camp in North America and cannot wait to help it grow even further!
Sasha started doing agility when she was ten years old with the family dog, Ozzie. After a couple of years, she got a mini poodle of her own named Jinx! She and Jinx were on the USA Junior European Open team for three consecutive years, from 2017 to 2019. In May of 2023, Sasha got a miniature poodle puppy named Sublime. They are currently working on agility foundations and building love for the game!
When she is not with dogs, Sasha spends her time ice dancing with her boyfriend and studying psychology and pre-medical sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. She will graduate in May of 2024 and will subsequently begin applying to medical school.
Sasha wants to share her love for agility with junior handlers all over North America. She takes pride in BJAC's growth over the years, and she hopes that the work that BJAC does will continue shape strong competitors both on and off the course.
Benah Stiewing (She/Her)
Benah started in agility at the age of 12 with her Toy Poodle, Kodi. Determined to be a team, Benah sought help from talented trainers and slowly started to broaden and deepen her knowledge of canine behavior. Years later, Benah is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer teaching agility, basic manners, puppy raising, and solving behavior concerns. Since her start with Kodi, Benah has trained a multitude of personal dogs and coached many beginner agility teams to success. She has competed at the National Level with her Border Collie, Mojo, and retired Kodi after he earned his MACH. After a heart-breaking injury with Mojo postponed their agility goals, they are now back competing along with Benah’s younger Border Collie, Osha.
Though Benah currently works as a Dog Trainer, her true passion is education! She has previously worked in schools with children of all ages, and plans to eventually found her own school. Benah is passionate about supporting your child’s spark. When she started agility years ago, she struggled as a child from a low-income family with no interest in the sport. She was lucky enough to discover a community who welcomed and supported her. Now she is honored to have the opportunity to support your child’s passion for dogs and agility! As a Co-Director of BJAC, Benah is thrilled to be the network connecting passionate young people with their goals and dreams. Benah is devoted to BJAC’s mission of accessibility in the sport and honored to be on the team working tirelessly towards a vision of inclusivity and compassion.
McKenzie Minto (She/Her)
Katie Brennan (She/Her)
McKenzie started agility at the age of 8 years old with her border collie mix named Sasha. She instantly fell in love with the sport and soon progressed to AKC Masters level with her. Later, she and her border collie, Safari, went on to compete for Team USA at the Junior World Championships, European Open, and World Agility Open. Currently, she is enjoying the training journey with her puppy, Oasis.
While she loves competing around the world, McKenzie has a deep appreciation for the journey involved in agility. She believes the bond forged between handler and dog is more important than any competition results. She feels lucky to have grown up in the agility community and is passionate about spreading the joys of agility with other young handlers.
McKenzie is also a UKI Agility Judge and instructor who enjoys watching teams progress and accomplish goals together. Outside of agility, she works as a public accountant and is pursuing her CPA license.
As the oldest of seven children, Katie was fortunate enough to grow up in a household full of fun, lots of laughs, and kindness. In helping with her siblings’ homework and seeing the amazing things her Dad (who works in education) was accomplishing, Katie decided to pursue education herself - after high school Katie completed her undergraduate degree and certification in Elementary Education and Music, then went on to earn her Masters in Cello Performance. She began her own cello studio, and also taught music therapy and preschool during extended school year programs in a special needs school district. As life is often filled with interesting twists and turns, once Katie got her first dog, a Finnish Spitz named Kimma, things changed forever.
Katie had no prior dog training experience, and the learning curve with a primitive breed was steep - luckily she found an awesome training club nearby and started taking agility classes in 2010. Once a reactive and fearful Finnish Spitz, Kimma became the first in her breed to earn numerous titles and hooked Katie on performance sports. Her notable accomplishments include: highest earning Finnish Spitz in AKC agility history, first female Finnish Spitz to be invited to AKC Agility Invitationals, and highest earning Finnish Spitz in AKC Rally.
As the catalyst for everything, Kimma inspired Katie to want to help others bring out the best in their canine partners and strengthen their bonds as teammates. She has earned certifications as a Dog Behavior Consultant and Professional Dog Trainer (CDBC & CPDT-KA), is a certified Animal Control Officer, and currently works full-time in the nonprofit realm as the Canine Recruitment Outreach Manager for the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, helping shelter and rescue dogs become search dogs.
Katie was incredibly fortunate to have been invited to instruct at BJAC Camp East in 2024, and walked away absolutely exhilarated - getting to witness firsthand the amazing community that BJAC had cultivated was incredible. Not only were these juniors fabulous agility handlers, but the good sportsmanship and inclusion they embodied was evident. When the opportunity to become a co-director presented, Katie jumped at the chance, and is honored to help perpetuate the wonderful core values that BJAC stands for.
Katie currently competes in agility with her Sheltie, Sonya Blade, and her Border Collie, Johnny Cage. With Sonya and Johnny, she has earned numerous AKC and UKI championships, as well as many podium placements at UKI cups and classics, and ISC cup height and overall placements. At UDog Agility in Huntingdon Valley, PA, Katie is the Registrar and Building Manager, subs for classes when needed, and offers private lessons and workshops. Her household is run by her now retired Finnish Spitz, Jari and Bubbles.