Zoolatry - Our Team - Peggy Coulombe

Peggy Coulombe

Peggy Coulombe Margaret (Peggy) Coulombe has worked for Zoolatry since January 2001 covering Capitol Hill - where she also resides. Peggy has grown up and lived with an array of pets, particularly dachshunds, and presently has the devotion of two cats, Jaspar and Clarence.

In accordance with the new millennium, she left her career of the last 20 years (biological sciences/basic research) to pursue her very first career path: dogwalking / petsitting. Her first job was at age 8, when she routinely walked two aged, blue poodles for Mrs. Edwards - in exchange for being the only child allowed to use her pool.

In addition to being able to now again indulge in her love of animals, this shift in career has also allowed her to pursue writing: fiction, nonfiction and poetry. She did a writing internship at NIH for The Catalyst, an internal publication at NIH, and has contributed articles on cancer to the Whitman Walker Newsletter. During the last year, she has also had the pleasure of editing and writing for the One In Ten Newsletter and performing photography for the Reel Affirmations Film Festival. Eventually, she hopes to have a fiction novel or two and some non-fiction articles published related her various interests (Keep your eyes peeled).

In addition to the pure joy of being met with unconditional love every afternoon by each of her clients, and writing, several hours most days are devoted to working out with her teammates (and close pals) at the National Capitol Area Women’s Paddling Association (NCAWPA). Peggy has been competing in outrigger canoes and dragonboats, nationally and internationally, for the last 6 years.

She is also the manager of the outrigger crew and is therefore seldom without a paddle in her hand most days. Her canoeing adventures have taken her all over the US, Canada, Hawaii, and Panama. This last August she had the privilege of representing the USA senior master’s women in the World’s Dragonboat Championships in Philadelphia (we took a bronze). Peggy can be spotted with her I CANOE hat on the Hill, usually riding her mountain bike between walks. She adores the opportunity to be outside (sure beats laboratories without windows), taking personal care of each of her dog buddies (they never complain!) and the good fortune that comes with pursuing those things one loves in life (and still getting paid for doing them!).