ACEP Fellow Amy Ondeyka has always been a dog lover. Five years ago, she decided to adopt a corgi mix from out of state, sight unseen. But when her new dog arrived, she quickly realized he was not what she expected. Sawyer was actually an Australian cattle dog overflowing with energy and smarts who had a penchant for opening cabinets and hiding important things from her. “He stole my wedding band for 24 hours! We thought he ate it, but then he brought it out and dropped it at my feet when he realized we were looking for it,” Dr. Ondeyka said.

She realized Sawyer needed some serious mental and physical stimulation, so she bought a simple dog agility course to try out in the backyard. Sawyer was a natural, and they both fell in love with the sport. Dr. Ondeyka loved how dog agility races were an exciting burst of brain and body working together. “You literally have no idea what your dog is going to do when you get into the competition ring, “ Dr. Ondeyka explained. “It’s the great unknown, which I guess all of us kind of love as emergency physicians because none of our shifts will ever be predictable.”

They began competing locally, and then Dr. Ondeyka decided to invest in her new hobby in a big way. She joined with other agility enthusiasts to buy a 32,000 sq. ft. indoor sports facility where they could train year-round while also renting out the facility for other sports. Dr. Ondeyka said it’s still surreal to be a small business owner, but she is happy to expand her hobby into a side job that helps her decompress after hard shifts.

Looking back, Dr. Ondeyka is grateful that her corgi adoption plans went a little awry. Adding Sawyer’s larger-than-life personality to her family ended up leading her to a whole new world with new friends that has proven to be a great outlet. “I was definitely not expecting the dog that I got, but he was definitely the dog that I needed,” Dr. Ondeyka said.

5 Fun Things with Dr. Ondeyka

1. Favorite Holiday: Halloween! We are very into horror movies, and we go all-out with our front yard decorations. This year we’re doing a graveyard theme with big animatronics and fog machines. We always have at least 100 kids come by.
2. Favorite Horror Movie: The first Halloween, although, I love the second one, too. Those are classics.
3. Favorite TV Show: Anything true crime that I can find on Netflix. There are a bunch of Finnish and Icelandic detective shows that are dubbed over with English and I love all of them.
4. Guilty Pleasure: Pinot noir and unhealthy snacks!
5. Looking Forward To: Fall—it’s my favorite time of year.