Staff Biographies

D. Glenn Martyn

Executive Director

D. Glenn Martyn began his professional career training dogs for TV and movies, obedience, show, field, police service, search and rescue, and tracking in 1965. In 1972 Glenn earned a BA in psychology (with high honors) from the University of Montana, followed by graduate studies, and in 1986 a secondary level teaching certificate (psychology/biology). He owned and operated Firewind Training Kennels (Missoula, Montana), a full-service boarding and training kennel for 23 years (1976-1999).

In 1987, Glenn was instrumental in the establishment of PawsAbilities - Canine Partners for People with Disabilities. PawsAbilities has trained and placed Hearing and Mobility Service Dogs throughout the Western United States. He now directs the program.

Glenn has lectured at National Conferences on Service Dogs, dog problem-solving, and puppy aptitude testing. He has made presentations to assistance dog organizations, humane societies, sheriff's departments, search and rescue, and government organizations, covering such diverse topics as: canine genetics, breeding systems, puppy selection, search and rescue tactics, dog bite prevention, and analyzing/solving dog behavior problems.

In September 1999 Glenn joined the SFSPCA Hearing Dog Program as their Training Coordinator, supervising training and kennel staff operations. In July 2005 he was promoted to Director of the program, where he served until the Program's unexpected closure in the Spring of 2008.

Glenn is currently Director of Dog Training at Bergin University for Canine Studies at the Assistance Dog Institute, a California state-approved, degree granting University, located in Santa Rosa, California, and home of the Bergen University of Canine Studies. He has also been retained as a consultant by a variety of animal-related organizations, including several in Japan.

The Hearing Dog Program is excited to have Glenn at the helm of the new HDP to share his wisdom and experience!

Martha Hoffman

Training Director

As a small child, Martha spent her time staring at ants, catching crayfish and snails for pets, and drawing every animal she saw or imagined. She ignored other children unless they had pets.

When she did not talk until age 4, her parents discovered she was Hard of Hearing. Luckily, Martha's older cousin was also obsessed with animals, and Martha finally felt a sense of kinship with the human race, and awe for an amazing person. She became his disciple, helping him feed his snakes, toads, and his 12 large turtles that lived in his family's second bathtub.

Although she caught or bought every animal she could, her parents never allowed her to have a dog. This became an even stronger desire than any of the other pets could satisfy. Finally at age 25, Martha got her first dog, stopped dragging home unfortunate wild animals, and has continued with personally training hundreds of dogs in agility, tracking, film acting, obedience, Schutzhund/IPO, Cancer Detection, and Hearing Dogs.

Her first Malinois, Amok Ot Vitosha ("JEKYLL") SCH3, IPO3, was an international Schutzhund competitor several times for the US World Team. Martha's second Malinois, Gotcha, is her 11 year old Hearing Dog. Gotcha has many talents; tracking, Service Dog work, entertaining demos to educate about the HDP. Gotcha now has a new hobby- she is a detection dog volunteering for the Human Ovarian Cancer Detection study at the Pine Street Foundation.

Martha is the author of Lend Me An Ear, about Hearing Dogs. She is working on a second book, this time specifically on training methods for Hearing Dogs.

Tom Oliver

Assistant Director

Tom Oliver has been in the administrative field for over 20 years with strong management, event planning, customer service and volunteer service skills. After graduating from Indiana University, he moved to SF to pursue his career in business. After years in private industry, he began to work solely for non-profits. Having been raised with Labradors, his knowledge and experience with dogs is a natural. All animals were welcome at their home and cottage in the country (real country), starting from one inch tadpoles to a six foot black racer. His experience with volunteers is both professional and personal, as he has volunteered in many capacities since he was a child, where his mother took him to nursing homes to help the elderly. Also, having worked with people with disabilities, and having personal experience, he's knowledgeable of what its like to be the underdog. Working for non-profits and defending those that get overlooked in our society is a personal and professional goal.