Denise Fleck

Denise Fleck is the Pet Safety Crusader™, inspiring people of all ages to “Be the one who makes a difference in the life of an animal!” Raised alongside a gentle giant—Ulysses the Great Dane—Denise developed a lifelong devotion to animals that began early and never let go. A Forbes 50 Over 50 Impact Honoree and the author of nearly 20 books, she is also the proud dog mom of fourteen canines and holds a special place in her heart for senior dogs.

Denise spent 15 years as a true “boots-on-the-ground” animal rescuer before going on to serve as Board Chair of several animal welfare organizations. From 2017 to 2025, she served as Board Chair of The Grey Muzzle Organization and later as its Executive Director, championing the belief that there is no greater love than the soulful gaze of a senior dog.

After a career as a movie studio publicist, Denise poured her heart into animal safety—training, researching, practicing, and ultimately developing her own Pet First Aid & CPR curriculum. To date, she has taught life-saving skills to more than 33,000 pet parents and animal care professionals. She has shared her expertise on CBS-TV’s The Doctors, Animal Planet, KTLA, and CNN, and has created specialized courses in pet disaster preparedness, senior pet care, and first aid for birds, rabbits, and other beloved companions.

Today, Denise focuses on training the next generation of pet first aid instructors and writing her children’s book series, Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover. Through its stories, the series encourages readers not to judge animals—or anyone—by age, breed, fur color, appearance, or anything else that makes them unique.