Celebrity dog trainer Jas Leverette takes pride in his passion and his roots
OAKLAND -- They say a dog is a man's best friend. For Jas Leverette, that relationship means everything.
"For me, dogs have always been the way that I've kind of, stayed focused," he said. "I was a busy kid, I was kind of a troublemaker growing up. Dogs were a way for me to redirect my energy into a positive outlet."
For the last 14 years in San Jose and in Los Angeles, Leverette has worked to improve the lives of dogs and their owners through his training business CaliK9 Solutions.
"There is so much euthanization going on with a lot of aggressive breeds," he said. "So, my whole goal was to lessen the euthanization rate by teaching awareness and teaching people all the skills they need to be great dog handlers and dog owners."
The Oakland-native is passionate about his work. He's made quite the name for himself over the past several years.
"I trained the Bay Area's very own Steph Curry, Jonathan Kuminga, I trained Kevin Hart, Demi Moore, LeBron James' animals. We're so open," he said "But, I'll also take someone off the street, a homeless man, and help him if he's having trouble."
Leverette even starred in a Netflix series called "Canine Intervention."
Thriving and doing what he loves to do, Leverette takes pride in his passion and in his roots.
"This is a great month to celebrate Black excellence and I'm just really happy to do my part," he said. "I definitely like to represent for the culture."
"I grew up in hip hop culture. I'm from Oakland, California. I just like to show the young people that you can do whatever you want to do. You don't have to be a ballplayer, you don't have to be a rapper, you don't have to wear a suit and tie everyday. You can still put your passion into play and create a great lifestyle and career for yourself and be able to help a lot of other people."
Pursuing that passion takes practice, just like it takes a lot of practice to train a dog.
One of his most important tips, there?
"Make sure your dog is having a great time training – as well as yourself," he said.